


The One That Got Away

by Gennamoon77



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:40:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 86,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28101066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gennamoon77/pseuds/Gennamoon77
Summary: Fresh out of law school, Abby Munson returns to her hometown to study  for the bar exam.  From the moment she was born, her life was planned for her, but now she finds herself questioning if it's the right one for her.  Juice is the newest member of the Sons of Anarchy and is figuring out how to adjust to his new lifestyle.  How do their lives change when a chance meeting develops into something more?
Relationships: Juice Ortiz/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This story is the first of three stories focusing on Juice and my OC. There are other characters in this story too. This story is complete and once I finish posting it, I will start posting the chapters from the second story. Hope you enjoy it!

May

He wasn’t sure how he ended up with these bullshit jobs, but he was always the one that drew the short end of the stick. It had been a little over a year since he had been patched into the motorcycle club. Juan Carlos Ortiz, or “Juice,” had spent the year before being a prospect which was a better way of saying lackey. Being a prospect never bothered him because he knew the payoff would be great; a member of the family. Juice had thought that once he got his patch that being the errand boy might be a thing of the past, but not so much. Guess he still needed to prove himself.

Bobby, as the treasurer, had put together some sort of six month financial rundown for Clay and Jax and needed copies made as soon as possible. Bobby had looked around the room ignoring the senior members and zeroed in on the newest member. Juice had tried to look busy behind his computer, but it didn’t matter. When he heard “Juice!” being hollered from across the room, he sighed. He was being summoned.

Juice had no idea what this packet could possibly look like seeing that their money came mainly from illegal dealings, but he assumed it was padded to look legit. He was still trying to get a handle of the way business was run. As a prospect, he wasn’t privy to the information that members were. Even though it had been a year, Juice still felt like he was trying to acclimate himself to all the ins and outs of being a member of the Sons of Anarchy.

There was a small copy store in the town of Charming, but he never heard of this place. Juice knew his way around town; but had Bobby not given him specific directions to find it, he would have continued not knowing it even existed. It was tucked away at the very end of town on the strip, but because it was so tiny it got swallowed up by the bigger stores and businesses around it.

He opened the door quickly, the bell dangling from the framer nearly missed the top of his head. He stepped back startled, bumping into a stack of copy paper. “Shit,” Juice grumbled, as he reached for the ones about to topple over.

“Be careful, that stack of papers will attack when provoked.”

He took his hands off the paper making sure it had stopped swaying before he turned around. As he looked over his shoulder, Juice froze. If it wasn’t humiliating enough that someone saw his near miss with the tower, it was even worse that the voice belonged to a girl.

He went to adjust his cutte and remembered he just had on a hoodie. There was some bullshit going on with the law that they weren’t permitted to wear their gear. Their war with the Mayans caused a shooting which spooked some of the locals so Unser, the sheriff, asked Clay to dial things back for a bit. He felt naked, almost exposed, without it. 

Juice took a deep breath and walked toward the counter. As he got closer, he took a gander without trying to look like he was ogling her. She was very plain. Her hair pulled back with a few loose curls hanging down. Her skin was free of makeup while her jeans and hoodie kept him from determining what kind of body she had.

Juice had never seen her before because he would remember those eyes if he had. They were sparkling, almost the color of emeralds. He didn’t think he had ever seen green eyes like that and he had seen his share of women; mainly since coming into the club. 

Juice snapped out of his daze as he heard her cough, speaking up. “Now that you’ve assaulted our copy paper, may I help you?” 

He could feel his cheeks heat up a little from embarrassment as a quiet laugh followed her comment. Taking a deep breath, he gained his composure and laid the packet of papers in front of her. “Can I get twenty copies of this packet?” He had started to question Bobby as to why he that many copies were needed, but had stopped when he got the disapproving look to not question the request.

“Sure, but it won’t be today.” She pointed over her shoulder. “The machine is broken.” Leaning against the counter, she sighed. “Which explains why this has been the most boring eight hours of my life.”

“Great, just great,” he mumbled, running his hand over the closely shaven strip of hair down the middle of his head. “There is nothing that can be done?” Bobby would have his ass if he didn’t have this packet of papers copied and delivered back to the clubhouse within the hour.

“Not unless you are secretly a copy machine technician,” she said, leaning in. “You aren’t, are you?”

“No,” he mumbled. Juice could smell lilacs and the faint scent of coffee as she leaned inches from him. He stared back at those eyes. He kept coming back to them, feeling drawn in.

“Are those papers really that important?” she asked.

He shrugged, not sure what to say. Juice couldn’t exactly say they were financial papers for the bad ass biker club in town that had its hands in illegal activities. Well, he could, but looking at her Juice felt that she was different. She didn’t appear to be like the chicks that hung around the club. She seemed normal and it had been a very long time since his life had been anything close to that.

He focused back on the task at hand. “I need them done for a very big meeting that is in less than an hour.”

Juice watched as she peered up at the clock then looked back at him. Their eyes met and he felt this twist in his stomach that was foreign to him. Juice wanted to know who she was and not in a purely physical way.

She grabbed her keys and coat. “There is a copier at the pharmacy. I know the guy working there right now. He will do me a favor.”

He smiled. “Won’t you get in trouble?” He turned as she came out from behind the counter. She was petite, definitely not much taller than five foot. He heard her chuckle as she shut off the lights.

“I’ll tell Mr. Smithers that I was helping a regular customer.”

Quickly, he walked back toward the front door. He wanted to take in all he could of her while he had the chance.  
*****

Juice sat staring at the screen in front of him not remembering what he was even to be doing. It had been two days since he had played errand boy for Bobby. It had been two days since he crossed paths with the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about.  
He had one girlfriend in high school. It was his first ‘love’ or at least that’s how most people would label it. She was one of the neighborhood girls who attended the Catholic school around the corner from the public school he went to. They would go for ice cream, to the movies and have lengthy make out sessions on his couch. When her parents found out that he had been caught for shoplifting some cigarettes; they told her that she couldn’t have any contact with him. Their ‘good’ Catholic girl couldn’t be seen with the riff raff in the neighborhood.

After that, he had a string of girls that wanted to hook up with a badass and that seemed to be the continuing pattern as he grew up. Things hadn’t changed since he had found his way to Charming. There was a plethora of girls hanging around the Sons so getting laid was never a problem.

Lately, he had begun to feel restless with that. For most twenty six year old guys this would be a dream, but he just felt empty in the girl department. Juice wanted something more than just an easy lay. He wouldn’t dare say that to any of the guys cause they would call him a pussy and never let him live it down so he learned to bury the feeling. Well, that was until he saw those green eyes. 

“Juice.”

His eyes shot up from the screen to see Gemma come into the clubhouse. Gemma was married to Clay, the president, and pretty much played mother hen to all the guys. She ran the office next to the garage; one of their legit businesses, and pretty much had her hand in everything else going on.

“What’s up?” Juice asked.

“There’s something wrong with the computer in the garage. Can you take a look at it?”

“Sure,” he replied. He would never say no to Gemma because she was not someone anyone wanted to piss off unless they wanted their life to be miserable.

He tinkered with the cords and a few other things before looking up at the queen with her arms crossed in front of her, pensive look on her face. “A couple of these wires have shorted out.”

“Great, what the hell do I do now? There are a bunch of orders that need closed out.”

“I’ll run into town and grab some new wires.”

Gemma patted his arm and smiled. “Thanks sweetheart. I really appreciate it.”

Even if he hadn’t known what was wrong with the computer, he would have made something up then set out to work on it all day just so Gemma wouldn’t be pissed off.

As he walked toward his bike, he had an idea pop into his head. Before he could talk himself out of his thought, he hopped on his bike. Juice would be making a quick stop before picking up the wires he needed.  
**  
He glanced at the sign of the copy store as he rode past. He stopped and parked his bike at the end of the street. Juice had been rehearsing what to say on the drive over and figured a little bit of a walk might help calm his nerves. He had never been a pro at talking to females, but he didn’t have to be. The girls that surrounded him made themselves available and all he had to do was pick which one.

He gazed at himself in a window in front of his parking spot. The black t shirt, pants, cutte and motorcycle boots were pretty much what he spent his time in. 

He slid the cutte off his arms and held it in his hands. Just that morning Clay told them they could start wearing them again. Nobody asked how he convinced Unser to change his mind, but all the guys were happy. Juice had worn one of these during his prospect period anticipating the day he could add the patches that made him a member. He loved this thing more than most of his possessions, but as he stared at it he made the decision to leave it. He paused as he shut the storage box on the side of his bike. He took a deep breath and started down the sidewalk.

As he approached the store, he glanced through the glass. Juice smiled as he caught a glimpse of her behind the counter. It was now or never. If he left, he wouldn’t get the balls to come back. He pushed the door open remembering to duck to avoid the bell. He scanned the room, feeling a sense of relief that there were no other people in the store.

Juice watched as she spun around, smiling as she caught sight of him. The smile on her face was warm, bringing a sense of calm to his churning stomach.

“Are you here for emergency copies again because if so, you’re in luck,” She paused and pointed at the copier. “It’s working.”

Juice cleared his throat and ran his palms over the side of his pants. He could feel sweat starting to form on the back of his neck. “Actually, I realized I never got your name the other day.”

She chuckled. “You came here to ask me what my name was?” 

He could feel the heat start rushing to his cheeks. That wasn’t how he had planned on starting their conversation, but that’s what fell out of his mouth. 

Just as he began to rethink his plan of attack, he saw her hand come forward. 

“My name is Abigail.”

He gazed at her hand outstretched in front of him. Beaming, he embraced it. “Juan Carlos.”

“Juan Carlos,” she said coyly. “So that makes you…”

“I’m Puerto Rican.”

Their eyes didn’t move. Her hand felt tiny in comparison to his, but he liked it. Juice could feel the flutter of butterflies flipping in his stomach. He felt her hand loosen up and slide back as her green eyes continued to stay locked with his. He knew he had to do what he had set out to do. He couldn’t sneak out of it now. “I was wondering,” Juice paused and inhaled slightly. “You really helped save my ass the other day so I would like to repay you. You want to grab coffee when you get off work?”

Juice watched her face process what he had said. She didn’t say anything, just kept looking in his eyes. He was beginning to feel that this had been a pointless detour on his way to the electronics store. As he began to tell her to forget it, she spoke up.  
“So, here’s the deal,” she paused, “Juan Carlos, I have had about six cups of coffee today and would like to sleep tonight so coffee isn’t going to work.”

He took his eyes off of her and looked at his feet. There it was the rejection he knew he would get. He felt like a complete fool for coming over here. Why would she want to go out with him?  
“Ok, well…” he trailed off as she cut him off.

“If you would like to meet me back here at six o’clock, I would love to take a walk. The park down the block is really pretty this time of year.” 

Juice snapped his head up, trying to keep his cool. “Yeah, sure, that’s great.” 

“Great,” she beamed. “I’ll meet you out front and we can go from there.”

He pivoted around and calmly walked to the door. After he cleared the store window, he stopped feeling a smile spread across his face. He had to pinch himself to make sure that he hadn’t imagined what had just played out. Once he convinced himself that it was real, he jumped on his bike to get the supplies he needed. He wanted to keep himself as busy as possible to keep his nerves calm and to move time along to six o’clock.


	2. Chapter 2

Fixing the computer had taken a lot longer than he had anticipated. He had a little electrical malfunction that shut off the power to the whole garage. Thankfully, he had run around with a kid back home that was going to school to be an electrician so he had picked up a thing or two. Before he knew it, it was going on six o’clock and he looked like he had rolled around in a pile of dust. 

Juice hurried down the sidewalk still brushing dust, lint and who knows what else off of his pants. Taking a shower had been out of the question. As it was, he was almost ten minutes late. He felt like he had blown it already.

He rushed around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her locking up the door to the store. He jogged down the sidewalk wanting to reach her in case she turned the opposite direction and didn’t see him.

As he slowed down, she whizzed around and bumped right into him. For a second, he could smell the scent of lilacs again.

“I was beginning to think you were going to stand a girl up,” she commented with a chuckle. 

“I was fixing a computer problem which turned into an electrical problem.”

“So you’re a computer technician?”

He shifted in his spot. He really didn’t want to get into his association with the Sons. The residents of Charming, for the most part, didn’t think very highly of the biker group so he wanted to keep a lid on it for now.

“Do you want to walk over to the park?” Juice asked, quickly changing the subject.

“Sure, that would be cool. There are plenty of benches that we could find to sit and chat.” 

He fell in beside her as they crossed the street. He couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder to make sure he didn’t see any of his fellow brothers or associates of theirs. 

There were no baseball games that evening so there wasn’t a lot of activity going on. A few people were playing on the swings and a few walking dogs. She pointed to a couple benches, but he shook his head no. Juice wanted to find a seat where they wouldn’t be easily spotted. He knew if this ever went anywhere he’d have to tell her who he was, but it needed to wait for now. There was this pull he kept feeling toward a sense of normalcy. His life was anything but normal, but there was this part of him that wanted something normal in his life. Abigail could be the beginning of that.

He saw a bench at the very back corner of the park. “Let’s go over there,” he suggested, pointing to what he found. He smiled at her as she followed alongside him to the isolated spot.

Juice watched as she plopped down beside him, letting her hair down. He watched mesmerized as bouncy curls cascaded down her shoulders.

“That’s a lot of curls,” he blurted then stopped when he realized how stupid that sounded.

She laughed. “Something I inherited from my dad’s side of the family.” 

He asked her about her job at the copy shop which turned into her asking about his computer job. He babbled on about computers, leaving out the part where he did a lot of illegal hacking, monitoring cameras and other things that were far from normal.

He discovered she was quite the sports fan. He used to love playing and watching sports when he grew up. Every now and again if he was the only one hanging in the clubhouse, he would turn on a game, grab a beer and enjoy something he did some time ago.

“So Abigail, what are you doing in Charming?” he asked with a smile. He was curious as to what brought a person to Charming. He had just ended up there by chance.

She laughed. “You beat me to it. I was just getting ready to ask you the same thing.” She playfully punched him in the arm. “I’m here to study for the bar exam.”

He whistled. “The bar exam…wow…” 

“Yeah, I want to be a lawyer, blah, blah, blah. I just graduated from law school at USC. I got my bachelors there and was really impressed with their law program so I stayed.”

“And you decided Charming looked like a quiet place to study,” he laughed loudly.

“With a name like Charming, I figured it would be a good place.” She laughed. “No, seriously, my uncle and friends are here so it just made sense. Honestly, I don’t plan on staying here. I’m probably going to take a job at a law firm I did some work for while at law school. I spent enough time in this town growing up. I feel it’s time to evolve.”

“So, do your parents live in Charming too?”

She got quiet and looked down at her hands. “Nah, my parents died when I was six.”

Juice looked over as she stared at her hands. “I’m sorry.”

Her eyes met his. “It’s okay, you didn’t know. I lived in Arizona until I was six. My parents died in a car accident. My mom was killed instantly. My dad lived for about three days before he died of internal injuries. Afterwards, I was sent to live here with my uncle.”

“Your uncle must be a really great guy.”

“Yeah, Bobby’s great. He was my dad’s younger brother and they were best friends.”

Juice felt his heart speed up. “Bobby?” he asked, hoping it was someone different.

“Oh, yeah, Bobby Munson. My dad’s family was from here, but my dad left to go off to college while Bobby stayed.” She stopped and cleared her throat. “He got involved with the local motorcycle club, Sons of Anarchy, and has never left.”  
Juice got completely silent and sat staring at her blankly. There were a million things swirling in his head. He wasn’t sure how to make sense out of any of the thoughts or questions. When he snapped out of his daze, he realized she was staring at him with a confused look on her face.

“Did I say something wrong?”

He smiled quickly, trying to cover up his nervousness. “Nah, you were saying…”

“Nothing really, just stuff about my family. It’s not exciting.”

“Keep talking about your family.” He wanted to hear what she had to say. He really wanted to know more about who she was, but his stomach was wrapped in knots at the tidbit he had just found out.

Abby leaned back against the bench. “Like I said, I moved here when I was six. It was quite an adjustment. Bobby didn’t know what to do with me and the club took up a lot of his time. He did his best and I love him to pieces, but he really was clueless about raising a girl.”

“So, what did he do?” He asked, but in the pit of his stomach he had a feeling he knew where this was going.

“Since he was wrapped up in the club, Gemma Morrow stepped in and became my surrogate mom. She’s the wife of the club president. I pretty much grew up in her home with her son Jax. I’m very thankful for all that she did for me, but I saw how wrapped up she was in the club and I didn’t want to become like that. My dad had wanted me to follow in his footsteps and be a lawyer so that’s what I did. My friend Tara, who was Jax’s high school sweetheart, went to USC with me, but then she went off to med school while I went off to law school. I think Jax was happy to get me out of his hair because we were pretty much like brother and sister growing up, but my best friend Opie wasn’t thrilled.”

“Opie,” he grunted. He felt like his stomach was in his throat now. The sweat was forming on the back of his neck as he tried to keep himself as calm as possible.

“Opie Winston,” Abby answered. “His dad was one of the original members of Sons of Anarchy along with Jax’s dad and step dad. Jax’s dad was president until he died, but then Clay took over. From the moment Jax and Opie were born they were groomed to be a part of the club.”

He shifted to the edge of the bench, feeling some sweat roll down his back. “So, how does your uncle feel about all of this?”

“What do you mean?” 

His knee started bouncing. “About you leaving here and not being connected to the club?”

Abby chuckled. “Surprisingly, he is completely fine with it. Bobby has always seen me as a daughter. He is very protective of me. He promised my dad that he would keep me on the path that they wanted me to be on and because of the love they had as brothers, he would never go back on his word. Not to mention, he would never want me to become an ‘old lady’ since he knows what being a member of the club is like, drinking, women, gambling and lots of other illegal activity I won’t even get into. Gemma, on the other hand, tried to convince me to stay. I’ve only been back for three weeks and she has started her campaign to keep me here.” 

Juice couldn’t calm his bouncing knee so he jumped up from the bench, looking down at her. His heart was thumping loudly inside his chest. He felt like he was going to be sick.

She smiled, looking up at him. “What’s up?”

He looked up at the sky that was starting to darken. “This was great, but it’s getting late so why don’t I walk you back to the shop so you can go study?”

She nodded slowly. “Alright.” 

They walked in silence back to the copy shop. He stopped in front of her and felt a flutter in his stomach as her eyes met his. His heart was pounding, his stomach was doing flips and his head was spinning. For a split second, he wanted to whisk her off to continue their date, but then the names Bobby, Jax and Opie ran through his head changing his desire.

He gave her arm a quick squeeze. “I’ll see you around.” He paused as she began to open her mouth, but spun fast, practically running around the corner.

Grabbing his cutte, Juice plopped down on his bike and grumbled. He couldn’t believe what just happened. He slammed his hand down on the handles and let his head fall forward. He was kicking himself for freaking out and ending the good time they were having, but he couldn’t go back to change things. She would surely want an explanation as to why he ran off which he couldn’t give her without telling her who he really was. He had just wanted to be normal for a little while to see if it felt good to him, but apparently that was too much to ask for.


	3. Chapter 3

Abby stood in front of the copy store for what seemed like an eternity before heading for her car. She drove the short distance to her uncle’s house with the music blaring as loud as her ears could stand. She was trying to drown out the thoughts that were going through her head. Unfortunately, the music wasn’t doing its job and her mind was racing with lots of confusion.

She was relieved when she pulled into the driveway and saw her uncle’s bike wasn’t there. She really wasn’t surprised. She could count on two hands the times he was actually there when she got home from school. Most of the time she just went straight to the Teller’s since she was with Opie and Jax. She hadn’t seen much of Bobby since she had returned from law school, but he was always within reach if she needed him.

As she stepped into the house, she sighed and leaned against the door. Confusion was only one word that described her mood at that moment. She was disappointed beyond belief. Abby never dated a lot growing up. With Jax and Opie always in the background most guys were terrified to even get close to her because of what those two embodied. Where there was Jax and Opie, there was a biker club that most people didn’t want to mess with. Most guys thought she was dating Opie throughout high school which didn’t help her case. On the rare occasion that a guy did ask her out, one or both of her two shadows would end up wherever she was. When Jax and Tara started dating in high school her dating life only got worse because Opie became even more protective plus the ‘it’ couple wanted the two of them to tag along most of the time.

When she went away to college she went through a brief phase where she went through a handful of guys, but that got old so she focused on hanging with her friends and studying. She had come back to Charming to work and study for her bar not to find a guy, but when she saw Juan Carlos for the first time desperately trying to keep the copy paper from toppling over there was something that sparked inside of her.

“Stupid girl, why did you go and spill your family secrets,” she mumbled as she walked into the kitchen. 

There were two messages on the answering machine, one from Gemma reminding her that they were having their weekly Sunday dinner and the other from Opie wondering where she was. Neither of those messages surprised her, they were the only two people that ever called her aside from the occasional phone call from Tara or Jax when he needed something. It would be nice to have a phone call from someone different every now and again.

Pulling a beer out of the fridge, she grabbed her bag containing her study materials and headed toward the backyard. The one plus of Bobby never being home was that she could get a lot of studying done in peace. She should have been happy that her date ended abruptly, she really didn’t need the distraction, but she couldn’t seem to convince the feelings inside her of that.

Two beers later, Abby had managed to push all thoughts of Juan Carlos Ortiz out of her head. She was engrossed in the various aspects of wills and estate law. She was cramming as hard as she could in hopes of taking the bar in July.

“Abby, where have you been?”

Abby knocked her beer over as she jumped up from the chair, books and papers spilling all over the ground. “Geez, Op, what the hell are you trying to do, kill me?”

“You weren’t answering your phone.”

She rolled her eyes and started picking up her materials strewn throughout the yard. She glanced up to see he was bent over trying to help her out, but making more of a mess than was already there.

She grabbed the papers from his hands, ignoring his dark eyes staring at her. She started back toward the house to clean up her sweatshirt that was soaked in beer.

“Abby,” Opie yelled.

Abby grabbed a towel and started soaking up the beer on the bottom of her hem. She heard the backdoor close which only made her scrub faster. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he barked.

“Is it too much for me to ask for a normal life? That’s all I want,” she mumbled, frantically wiping at her shirt.

“You’re acting weird,” Opie commented.

Her eyes shot up. “I’m not acting weird. I’m trying to be normal, but that just doesn’t seem to want to happen. It’s empirically impossible.” She threw her hands up, knocking over a pot hanging above the stove.

Opie dashed forward, grabbing it before it hit the floor. He set it down and took Abby’s arm, leading her to the table. “Okay, I think you need to sit the fuck down before you destroy the house.”

She put her head on the table and groaned. “I should have stayed in Southern California.”

“What the hell is your problem?” Opie boomed.

“I went out on a date,” she blurted, looking up at him. She watched as his mouth twisted into a smile as a chuckle escaped his lips. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he answered. “I’m just surprised.” 

Abby watched as he continued to laugh at what she had just mentioned. “Well, it doesn’t matter because as soon as I spilled out my family ties the dude ran as fast as his boots could take him.” She sat back in the chair, letting her head fall back. “It’s a very familiar pattern so I should be used to it.” Abby peered up slowly, observing her friend.

Opie got this look on his face that Abby had seen many times before. She groaned because she knew what was about to happen next.

“Who is the asshole? Jax and I will handle it.”

“This is exactly what I’m talking about,” she yelled back. “This is why I can’t find a guy who wants to get involved with me because of the two of you and the club.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

Abby searched his face for some sort of sign that he was just joking with that question, but he was dead serious. She burst out laughing at his ignorance. She shook her head and decided she should just change the subject. She could explain what she was talking about until she was blue in the face, but he would never get it. 

“So, what were you trying to track me down for?”

“Can you give me a lift to the garage tomorrow?” Opie asked, sliding back in the seat.

“Where’s your bike?”

He cleared his throat. “Um, it had a little malfunction while out doing some business and Donna needs the truck.”

Abby rolled her eyes. She wanted no details of his malfunction because it was surely due to business that she wanted to know nothing about. The illegal dealings and constant beefs with rival clubs was something Abby steered clear of. Gemma might like getting intertwined in the stuff, but Abby didn’t want to become Gemma. “Sure, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Thanks Abby,” he replied, smiling at her. “Hey, why don’t you come back to the club with me? We’re having a little get together and I could use the company since Donna is home with the kids. Plus, Jax and Wendy had another fight so he won’t be in any shape to be social.”

She snorted. “Oh yeah, just what I want to do forgo studying so I can go hang out at the club for one of the infamous parties. I think I’ll stick to reading about torts, wills and estates instead of watching Jax get shitfaced over his junkie girlfriend, half naked ladies hanging all over the boys and possibly seeing some porn play out in front of me.” She laughed slightly, but stopped as she watched Opie’s face change. He looked somewhat sad.

She reached across the table and touched his hand. “I’m sorry Opie. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Nah, its fine. I know it’s not your thing. You just sounded like Donna for a second.”

Abby sighed, squeezing his hand tightly. Donna was Opie’s wife and she was very vocal in her displeasure with his involvement in the club. Abby never understood why she started dating him in the first place since Donna never paid him any mind in high school. It was after Abby left for college that they started dating and she had a feeling it was partly because Donna wanted to try bad ass out for size; however, it wasn’t a role that fit her. By the time the club became an ongoing issue, Donna was pregnant so they got married. Two kids later, they were still fighting about the same thing, Opie’s involvement with the Sons of Anarchy. Abby knew that Opie loved Donna. Opie had a rough side to him, but unlike a lot of the guys he had a soft side too. He desperately wanted to find a way to balance the two things he loved, his family and the club. Unfortunately, he hadn’t found a way to appease them both.

Abby could sympathize with Donna to some extent. She had many conversations with Donna about the club. The only difference between the two ladies was that somewhere along the way Abby learned how to separate herself from the club, but still maintain her relationships with the people closest to her. She knew it was easier said than done since Abby wasn’t married or dating any of them. 

She watched Opie get up from the kitchen table. “Do you want a beer?” she asked quickly. She didn’t want him to leave upset about anything. She hated to see him like that.

“Nah, I should probably get to babysitting Jax.” 

Abby walked to the door with him, trying to think of something witty to say to lighten the mood a bit, but nothing came to her. She told him that she’d see him around ten. She watched as the truck disappeared down the dark road.   
Sighing, she shut the door and found herself leaning against it once again with her mind buzzing with all sorts of thoughts. This was a day she wanted to put behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

At ten o’clock on the dot, Abby pulled into Opie’s driveway. She watched as he came out of the door, with Donna at his side. She couldn’t help but notice Donna turn her head as he leaned down to give her a kiss, getting her cheek instead. She also couldn’t help but notice; the half wave Donna gave her and the pissed off look on Opie’s face. 

“Hey,” Abby greeted her friend, handing him a cup of coffee.

“Thanks,” he grumbled, taking a long swig. “We need to get Jax at his house.”

“Excuse me,” she chirped. 

“He was pissed about Wendy last night and got wasted. He then decided he was going to try to get on his bike to go find out which drug dealer she was getting high with. I threw him in the truck and took him home.”

“He couldn’t sleep at the club?”

“No Abby, he couldn’t sleep at the club. He would’ve gotten on his fucking bike as soon as I left.” 

She jumped as his voice practically shook her parked car. She felt his hand touch her shoulder as he offered her a quiet apology. She knew he had probably just had this argument with Donna so it was just being directed at her. Abby decided to shut her mouth and just go pick up Jax.

It was no secret that Abby and Jax had a love hate relationship. They had grown up together like brother and sister so their relationship had its ups and downs. They were always in competition with each other and usually disagreeing about something. He was still hurting over Tara running off to college then choosing to go to Chicago. He was trying to heal himself with booze and Wendy. He was also still somewhat bitter that Abby didn’t try to talk Tara into coming back to Charming.

Jax’s house wasn’t far from Opie. The two of them never ventured very far from each other which really annoyed Abby at times. She loved how loyal the two of them were, but felt that Opie needed a break from Jax sometimes.

She blew the horn and watched as Jax staggered out of his house, looking like death warmed over. Opie had moved to the backseat so Jax slid into the passenger seat beside her. She handed her coffee over to him. “You look like you could use this more than me.”

“Yeah, it was a hell of a fucking night.”

“Lucky for you, I decided to drive the Explorer and not the Mustang. Otherwise you would have been walking to the garage.”

“Are you ever going to drive the Mustang?” Opie called from the backseat. 

Abby mumbled “Maybe” and kept driving. The Mustang had been her dad’s and she just couldn’t bring herself to drive it, sell it or even look at it. 

Jax leaned over and cranked up her radio. She raised her eyebrow thinking he had to have a massive headache yet here he was turning the radio up to a level that made her think she was going to be the one with the headache.

As they pulled into the Teller Morrow parking lot, singing Motley Crue’s ‘Shout at the Devil’, Abby felt like she had been transported back to high school. She liked the nostalgic feeling that overshadowed where their lives were now.  
The trio got one more chorus out before she turned the engine off, seeing her uncle and Chibs walking toward the car. 

She slid out of the driver’s seat and put her arm around Chibs, the Scotsman, whom she had always had a soft spot for. 

“Hey there lass,” he greeted her with a peck on the cheek.

She glanced at her uncle who looked like he had just woken up. He hadn’t come home the night which meant he went overboard at the party which wasn’t surprising.

“It sounded like the three of you were relieving high school all over again,” Bobby snorted, stealing Abby away from Chibs.

“Something like that,” Abby replied, kissing him on the cheek then messing with his wild mane of curls. 

“Where’s everyone else?” Jax asked, slipping into his Vice President role.

“Clay and Tig are meeting with Unser while Happy, Kozik and Juice are checking on the warehouse.”

Abby coughed. “Juice, seriously, you have a member named Juice?” She watched as Jax began to open his mouth. She put her hand up and shook her head. “I don’t want to know how someone gets a nickname like Juice.” She watched as Jax motioned for the guys to follow him into the clubhouse. 

As quickly as Abby was surrounded by four guys that she had known most of her life, she found herself standing alone in the middle of the wide open parking lot. She sighed, heading back to her car. It was back to studying and counting down the days until the bar exam which was one step closer to moving out of Charming again.  
**

The Teller/Morrow household was loud with talk and laughter as Abby let herself in the front door. It was Sunday; the day of their family dinner. She followed her uncle to the kitchen, smelling the delicious food the whole way.

This was one thing she always loved growing up. Some Sunday’s it was just Jax’s family and the Munson’s. Other Sunday’s it was the whole crew. It was a day when everyone let all the stuff at the club to just come together for food and fun. It was Abby’s favorite day of the week. When she was at college she found herself missing home on Sunday’s. This was the first one she had come to since being home and Abby was ecstatic.

“Hey, hey it’s the Munson’s.”

Abby laughed as she watched her uncle hug Tig who was now singing his greeting to the tune of the Monkees. 

“Hey baby.”

Abby turned to see Gemma coming to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. She kissed her back and handed her a dish. “Hash brown casserole.”

“You know you didn’t have to bring anything.”

“I know, but Bobby was talking about it and I know he probably hasn’t eaten it since I was last home.”

Gemma kissed her again and thanked her then smacked her on the butt, telling her to go visit with everyone.

She walked to the edge of the kitchen and stared into the dining room. She couldn’t help but smile observing everyone. Clay, Bobby and Tig were puffing on cigars and laughing about something Tig was telling them. Opie and Jax were hitting each other over some debate they appeared to be having while Piney sat back with his glass of alcohol taking it all in.

“They’re a crazy damn bunch, eh?”

Abby jumped and looked over to see Chibs who had come up beside her. “You startled me.” She commented, playfully elbowing him in the ribs. “And crazy doesn’t even begin to describe these nuts.”

“You are so very right,” he agreed with a chuckle. 

Chibs handed Abby a beer which she willingly took. “So, maybe I’ve been away too long, but the club is looking a little skimpy on members.” 

“Some of the guys are checking on some business at the warehouse so they won’t be joining us.”

She took a swig of her beer knowing not to ask any more questions because she wouldn’t get any answers and she didn’t want to know anyway. “How have things been, Chibs?”

He looked over at her and winked. “Same old Abby.” 

She smiled as he put his arm around her waist and hugged her lightly then joined the loud cigar smokers at the end of the table. 

Abby retreated into the kitchen to help Gemma even though she knew Gemma would tell her to enjoy herself and not do a thing.   
**  
The dinner was huge and amazingly good as always. Gemma had outdone herself which wasn’t unusual. Abby was sitting between Chibs and Bobby while Opie was sitting across from her looking like his mind was elsewhere. She couldn’t help but notice that Donna hadn’t joined them for Sunday dinner which was unusual. No matter what beef Donna had with the club, she never missed a dinner. By the look on Opie’s face, they were still arguing which upset Abby. She hated seeing him so distraught. 

“So, lass, between the copy shop and your studies I’m surprised you were able to join us,” Chibs piped up.

She laughed. “I’m not that busy and I certainly wouldn’t miss Sunday’s here with everyone.”

Abby turned her eyes away from Chibs when she heard Opie snort from across the table. “What was that for?” she asked him.

Opie shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing.”

“Nothing my ass. What was that for?”

“I was just thinking about how busy you’ve been over the last two weeks.”

She looked at Opie confused. “I have been busy.”

“Yeah, going on a date,” Jax coughed.

Abby shot a glare at Opie as she heard her uncle screech, “Date?”

“Thanks a lot assholes,” she grumbled, giving Opie and Jax a swift kick under the table.

“What date Abby?” Bobby asked, his eyes wide.

“It was nothing. Just some guy who came into the shop a couple times. We went for a walk then he had to go. It was no big deal,” she emphasized, trying to ignore Jax snickering along with Opie. 

“Geez Abby, you don’t need to go on some date with a random dude when you have a man right here that would take you out on a date,” Tig piped up with a laugh from the end of the table.

“Abby isn’t going to date anyone,” Bobby answered sternly. “She is studying for the bar, passing the exam and joining a law firm like her dad.”

The whole table got quiet and looked anywhere except at Bobby. “Touchy, touchy,” Jax muttered, stuffing a roll in his mouth.

Abby went back to finishing her meal as the conversation slowly started to pick back up. She didn’t want to look over at her uncle because she knew he would begin a slew of questions which she didn’t want to answer. She smiled as she felt Chibs pat her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze as he rose to get another drink.

She was just thankful that Gemma hadn’t chimed in on why Bobby should back off and let her stay in Charming a while. The dinner that Abby had been eagerly awaiting would have gone downhill fast.  
**

Dinner finished up and once Abby helped Gemma clean everything up, she ventured onto the back porch where the instigating duo were having a cigarette.

“Thanks you two for the drama at dinner.” She took the freshly lit cigarette from Jax’s hand and put it to her mouth.

“Hey,” he croaked.

She smiled as she inhaled deeply, puffing the smoke in his face. “That’s what you get for trying to start a fight for your amusement.”

“Opie started it,” he piped up.

Abby rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to continue to talk about the ‘date’ she had been on. It was all she could do to keep from thinking about what happened. She had analyzed that whole debacle from the first meeting in the copy shop to the abrupt end of the date. She just wanted to forget it.

“So, did I hear you mention that you guys are going to have the Memorial Day picnic?” Opie asked.

She put the cigarette out and nodded. “Yeah, I thought it’d be cool to have it at our house like we used to. I was going to call Donna to let her know to bring the kids.”

“Nah, I’ll tell her.”

Abby looked over at Jax who shrugged his shoulders. She wasn’t sure why he didn’t want her to call. He never had a problem with her and Donna talking or occasionally hanging out. She figured he just didn’t want Donna complaining to anyone else about her issues with Opie and the club.

“Well, as much as I enjoy hanging out here to get bombarded over some stupid date, I need to get home to study.” 

She gave both the guys a hug and headed inside to tell everyone else goodbye. She was exhausted and wanted to curl up in bed. She wanted to go to sleep to quiet the analyzing that was going on in her head about the mysterious Juan Carlos Ortiz.


	5. Chapter 5

Juice grabbed a wrench and began taking his nervous energy out on the car that he was working on. Tonight was the night of the Memorial Day picnic at the Munson residence. Tonight was the night that he could come face to face with Abigail Munson, the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about and the one that said she would never date a member of the Sons of Anarchy. 

It had been two weeks since their date and for every single one of those fourteen days, Juice kept playing back their encounter. Every conversation, every laugh, every flick of her hair played on repeat in his mind. Many times he thought about going into the copy shop to apologize for the way he ended things. Her confused look as he was turning to leave crept into his head every so often and he wanted to make it right, but how could he? Two weeks without any contact meant she would probably kick him out of the store. Throw in the fact that he was a member of the club and she would surely use her foot to boot his ass even harder out the door.

The week before, he was the first one to volunteer to skip dinner at the Morrow’s to go to the warehouse to make sure the Mayans didn’t show up. He loved those dinners, but he couldn’t show himself that night. The dinner would turn into World War III when they came face to face. Between her reaction, Bobby, Jax and Opie, he wouldn’t have made it out alive. 

The picnic tonight was completely different. At church that morning, Clay ordered every single one of them to let business behind to join in on the festivities. It had been years since the picnic had been held at Bobby’s house, but from what he had gathered it used to be a big event before Abby went off to college. Bobby was walking around on cloud nine as the clock got closer and closer to party time. Just the mention of his niece and Bobby’s eyes sparkled. He was a proud uncle and would rip apart anyone that hurt her. 

Juice placed the wrench down and wiped the sweat off his brow. He wasn’t sure if the sweat was from working on the car or the impending doom he felt come over him.  
**

There were close to fifty people there some of which Juice never saw before, but that wasn’t unusual. There were always people straggling behind the club members wanting to be one the inside of what went on within the Sons of Anarchy. He had been one of those individuals once desperately wanting to be a part of the group. Now here he was on the inside, but on this particular night he didn’t feel like partying.

He stood against the post of the back porch smoking a cigarette. He picked this spot because it was hidden away from everyone so he could remain unseen. His eyes were peeled for the petite, curly headed copy girl that plagued his mind.

For two weeks, thoughts and questions swirled throughout his brain. How could he date her especially after she said Bobby never wanted her to get involved with a club member? If he dated her, it would surely cause issues between him and Bobby. He couldn’t jeopardize any of his relationships with his fellow brothers. This was the only family he had and he wanted to continue to have them in his life. It was all he knew. He chugged his beer and grabbed another one. His nerves were on overdrive. He felt like some crazy paranoid person. If he saw her anywhere near him, he would have to find an exit as quickly as possible.

As he looked around, he saw some of the guys standing around the bonfire, drinking and laughing. Most of them were surrounded by a swarm of women which is where he would be if he wasn’t on lookout duty.

He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her. He had never been struck so quickly by someone before, but he found Abigail intriguing. He had planned on spending as long as he could with her the night they went out, but when she divulged her family to him, he didn’t know what to do. All his thoughts continuously revolved around how he couldn’t jeopardize his place in the club. How could he let that go, but how could he let her go? He found himself in this constant battle of what he wanted to do versus what he felt he should do. It was exhausting and something that was so foreign to him. The feelings that meeting her brought to the surface were ones he just never had to deal with. It had been a long time since he felt anything other than lust for a girl so it was hard to embrace, but until she told him she was a Munson he was more than willing to give it a fighting chance. 

He sighed loudly and continued to puff away on his cigarette.

“What are you doing over here Juicy boy?”

He jumped as he looked over to see Chibs standing next to him, beer in one hand and a cigarette in another. 

“Man, you snuck up on me,” Juice laughed nervously and shrugged. “I’m just taking it all in.”

Chibs put his hand on his shoulder. “Nah, it’s a lot more fun up here with us at the bonfire. Come on.” Juice felt him begin pulling him toward a group of the guys. Juice’s eyes were scanning the backyard even quicker than before since he was being drawn out into the open. If he left at the end of the evening without having something blow up he would be amazed.  
**  
The night was moving along rather smoothing, but Abby didn’t feel very social. She kept thinking about her brief conversation with Donna which then led her mind back to the disappearing Juan Carlos Ortiz.   
Donna had called to tell her that her and the kids weren’t coming. She made up some weird excuse that Kenny was too tired from his all day soccer tournament. Abby never knew Kenny to be too tired for anything fun. She knew it was because Donna didn’t want to be at a club function which made Abby wonder if there was such a thing as a relationship that worked in Charming.

Abby nursed her beer as she sat staring up at the sky. She had found a spot at the corner of the yard away from everyone else. She just wanted some time to sort through her head.

“Are you going to sit here all night?”

She practically jumped out of her seat as she looked up at Opie’s grim face staring down at her. Opie sat down beside her, putting his feet up. “I couldn’t get Donna to come.”

“Does this surprise you?” she asked. She didn’t want to tell him that she was already privy to that information. Opie looked perturbed that Donna wasn’t there so she didn’t want to stir up things further. If he wanted to discuss it he could.

Abby watched as he took a swig from his beer. “No, it doesn’t,” he mumbled.

She knew the constant arguments bothered him a lot, but not enough for Opie to leave the club. Despite his love for his family, he just couldn’t bring himself to do anything other than be in the club. “Okay, so changing topic.” She decided she’d pick his brain for a bit to give him something else to think about. “I can’t believe I’m about to bring this up, but…”

“But what Abby?”

“You know I told you I went out on a date?”

“Yes,” Opie replied, raising his eyebrow.

“I just keep going over everything in my head. You know, analyzing every last detail of what played out.”

Opie chuckled. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

She balled up her napkin and threw it at him “It’s been two weeks and I haven’t heard a thing from him. Two weeks, Opie, that’s a big indicator, isn’t it?”

Opie started laughing. “Didn’t you say that the guy abruptly left and was acting weird when you said goodbye?”

She nodded, sipping her beer nervously. Abby knew what he was going to say and she really just wanted him to slap her back to reality to get her mind solely focused on her exam. Deep down though, she was hoping he would give her a different take on the situation.

“That plus the fact that it’s been two fucking weeks is a big indicator,” he said with a laugh then stopped. “Sorry Abby.”

She ran her hands through her hair. “I just don’t understand. We were having a really good time. At least I thought we were. Then my mouth got the better of me and poof he vanished. I don’t know why I’m surprised by this.” She sighed and started off into the sky. “The club probably beat Juan Carlos up at one point or some shit like that.”

Opie sat up quickly. “Juan Carlos?”

“Yes, Juan Carlos Ortiz. Didn’t I tell you his name?” She sat up quickly and looked at him nervously. “Oh my gosh, you guys did beat him up, didn’t you? Please tell me that you guys didn’t do something terrible to him. It’s not bad, is it?”

She was seriously freaking out. It never failed, she met a guy and something involving the club caused it to come crashing down. 

She searched Opie’s face for a hint of something. He had this deer in headlights look which made her heart start to beat faster. “Opie, what the hell? Tell me what you know.”

He took a long swig of his beer and looked at her. “Abby, there is something I should tell you…” He trailed off as Bobby approached them.

“What? What do you want to tell me” she asked puzzled. She could hear her uncle saying something about the guys wanting him to get his guitar out for a song and he wanted her to sing with him. She kept drilling her eyes into Opie’s gaze staring back at her, trying to ignore her uncle.

She was getting ready to tell Bobby it was a bad time because she really wanted to know what Opie had to tell her, but Opie stood up, pulling her to stand with him.

He rubbed her shoulders and pushed her in Bobby’s direction. “Why don’t you go make the crowd happy and sing the damn song before they lynch the two of you? I will be here for the rest of the night so go.”

She finished her beer and handed him the empty bottle. “Okay, well, we can finish the rest of our conversation later.” He had already stalked away which left her more confused than ever.  
**  
Juice had found his way back to the secluded place he had been pulled from earlier. The guys were gathering around the bonfire because Bobby and Abby were going to do some duet. He knew Bobby played guitar and she had mentioned that she had picked up the music gene from her family, but that was before she actually gave details about her family. He went to get a beer, slunk back to this spot and hoped nobody would drag him to the bonfire again; at least not while she was right there.

He lit a cigarette and watched her laughing with Bobby as he tuned his guitar. She looked beautiful. Her curly locks were pulled back in a ponytail. She was wearing a pair of jeans, grey boots, a red grey flannel shirt and a grey scarf which made her look like this laid back sort of girl. Juice could see how she could go from being in Charming to fitting in at law school. Abby seemed like a chameleon that could blend in anywhere.

He heard her laugh which was followed by a smile that lit up her whole face. Her nose crinkled up a bit which made him smile too, but then the smiled faded as he thought about the fact that he was hiding in a dark place because he didn’t want her to know who he was. 

Bobby started playing the guitar and she began to sing. She definitely had talent, but he wasn’t surprised. He got the feeling that she was good at a lot of things. She seemed like someone who had her shit together. He frowned thinking about the fact that he wouldn’t have the chance to really see if his assessment was correct.

“She’s a great singer, isn’t she?”

Juice jumped and stood up straight as he watched as Opie approached him. “Oh yeah, this is really great.”

Opie leaned on the other side of the post. “She picked up the music thing from Bobby. She has been singing and playing the piano since she was a kid.” Opie paused to take a drag off a cigarette. “Abby and I have been friends since she moved to Charming. She was only six and was scared to death of her new surroundings. Jax and I took on the role of her protectors since Bobby was always busy.”

Juice smiled at him nervously. His stomach was churning with every second that passed as Opie stood looking at him grimly.

“Abby tells me every damn thing that goes on with her. It’s how we’ve always been.”

Juice tried to turn his focus back on the song that they were in the middle of, but he could feel the nerves in his stomach hit an all-time high. He wasn’t sure where Opie was going with this conversation, but the voice in the back of his head was saying that it wasn’t going in a direction he wanted.

“She was telling me about this date she went on and how much she really liked this guy, however, there was a problem. At the end of the date, this guy ran off abruptly and she hasn’t heard from him since. She wanted my perspective because she really fucking liked the dude. So, what kind of advice do you think I should have given her, Juan Carlos?” 

Juice tensed up as he could feel Opie’s eyes drilling a hole into him. Slowly, he brought his eyes up to meet that terrifying stare. “Opie, listen…”

“Stop, just stop,” Opie growled. “I love that girl like a sister. When I see that she is visibly distressed over a guy, my first instinct is to get Jax and beat the shit out of him.”

Juice’s whole body stiffened. He began to open his mouth to say he was sorry, but Opie put his hand up to signal him to stop.

“Since you’re one of us, I’m going to give you the chance to give me your side of the story, but not here. This is not the time or place for you to run into Abby. She would be devastated if she found out your identity here in front of everybody. Some of the guys won’t be as willing as I am to hear your side of things.”

Juice nodded, listening intently. Opie was a tough bastard. He didn’t say much, but when he did he was usually fairly logical in his statements.

“You’re going to meet me out front. I’m going to tell Abby I have to get home to Donna. I’ll let the guys know that you and I are going to check on the clubhouse to make sure everything is cool since the Mayans have been giving us issues. Then we will head back to the clubhouse where you can give me your side of things.”

Juice started to say ‘Thanks’, but Opie had turned and disappeared into the sea of people standing around the bonfire. He fell back against the post and sunk down. Sweat was dripping down his back soaking his shirt. He could feel the taste of beer and tobacco backing up into his throat. He pushed himself to stand and took a cleansing breath to pull himself together. He needed to get his shit and story together on the ride back to the clubhouse. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to explain bruises if Opie beat the shit out of him for not giving a good reason for torturing Abby for two weeks. He hoped he could come up with something that would spare him or else he could lose the girl he wanted to know and the family he wanted to keep.


	6. Chapter 6

June

Abby stood glaring at her car. The stupid piece of crap decided to break down a block from her house. All she wanted was for it to make that last little distance, but here she stood trying to keep from kicking it several times. She bought the Explorer before she left for USC even though a perfectly good Mustang sat in her uncle’s driveway. She had purchased it with her own money, most from her job at the copy store and a little bit from the savings account her inheritance was deposited into each month. The vehicle was used and Bobby was pissed when she brought it home. Mainly because it wasn’t brand spanking new, but also because she wouldn’t get behind the wheel of her dad’s beloved car. 

Thankfully, everyone close to her worked at the garage; it was one of their ‘legit’ incomes. She called Opie once she realized the car wasn’t going to start again. She was surprised he answered the phone since he had barely talked to her since the picnic which had been almost a week earlier. Every time she called him, he was always tied up with ‘business.’ Sure the club consumed a lot of his time, but usually he’d find time to talk to her. She wasn’t sure what was up, but there was something and she was determined to find out. There was this feeling inside of her that made her think it had to do with his weird reaction to her mystery date’s identity. 

She saw the tow truck round the corner, slowing down as it approached. She waved then stopped, Jax was with him. “Damn it,” she muttered. Now, she was definitely convinced Opie was avoiding her.  
Jax hopped out and strutted over. “What happened?”

Abby shrugged her shoulders. “When I got in to come home from work, it almost didn’t start and as you can see, the stupid thing decided to die out on me.”

“You know you could just drive the Mustang,” Jax mumbled, popping the hood.

“Yes, Jax, I know I could drive the Mustang.” She looked at Opie who was looking at her with this look that indicated he agreed with Jax. “Can we just shift our attention back to my Explorer?”

Jax stood up, shutting the hood and wiping his hands on his work pants. “It’s probably the alternator, but I won’t know until I get it into the garage and dig around more.”

“That sounds expensive,” Abby grumbled, looking over at Opie again. Jax’s phone rang and he disappeared to the back of the tow truck to take the call while hooking up her car. She turned to face Opie “Is there any reason why you brought Jax with you?”

“He is a much better mechanic than I am,” he answered coolly.

“Sure, he is,” she responded, trying to get a read on his face, but he was completely stone faced. “Call me crazy, but I get the distinct feeling that you’re avoiding me for some reason.”

“Not sure why you think that. I’m not avoiding you.”

She raised her eyebrow desperately trying to get a hint of what was going on in his brain, but he was good. As she began to open her mouth, Jax came from around the truck.

“Okay, the car is hooked up and we need to get back to the garage. Clay needs us to take care of something.” He turned to Abby. “I’ll call you to let you know what we find.”

She nodded, turning her direction back to Opie, but he had hopped into the driver seat and had started the tow truck. “Thanks,” she yelled as the tow truck disappeared around the corner.

She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and started down the road to the house. Opie’s behavior definitely confirmed her suspicions that there was something he wasn’t telling her. Even though he wouldn’t cop to it, she knew him better than anyone and his actions were all the proof she needed. She was going to find out why Opie was avoiding her even if it took up time she didn’t have.

The sun was beating down on Abby’s forehead as she jogged into the Teller Morrow parking lot. It had been two days since the guys had towed her car to the garage. Jax had called her later that afternoon to tell her it was indeed the alternator and he was going to need to order the part, but it would be done in two days. Thankfully, she had a few days off work and used the time to study as much as she could while thinking of a way to break Opie of what he was hiding. 

She had some errands to run out of town and really needed her car back. Not so surprisingly, neither Jax nor Opie were answering their phones so she decided to go for a jog to work off some of her frustration.

She slowed down as she approached the picnic bench, trying not to topple over as she reached it. It had been a while since she had done any running. Between her lungs feeling like they were about to explode and her legs that felt like jelly, she was kicking herself for thinking a run was a grand idea.

Placing her hand on the picnic table, she bent over to take several deep breaths hoping that her lungs would stop burning sooner rather than later.

“Abby, what’s wrong lass?”

She peered up, forcing the best smile she could at Chibs in between her gasps. “Ah, I thought it would be fun to take a run,” she breathed. 

“Ya ran from Bobby’s house, shit, are ya crazy?” Chibs asked with a laugh.

She steadied herself as she sat down on the bench, taking the water bottle Chibs was shoving at her. “It’s quite possible.” She took a long swig. “Thanks.”

He sat down beside her and patted her knee. “Ya look like ya need it more than I do.”

She chugged some more water then smiled. “Believe it or not I used to run cross country in high school. I tried to keep it a secret from Opie and Jax, but they found out and gave me such crap for conforming to the jocks. I only did it for a year, but kept up with the running outside of school.”

“How long has it been since you ran like that?”

Shrugging, she gave him a meek smile. “About five years.”

Chibs let out a hearty laugh. “Yeah, you’re definitely crazy.” He patted her on the back.

“I was trying to get a hold of Jax and Opie to check on my car. Jax said it would be done today, but they aren’t answering their phones. I could have called into the garage, but my overzealous attitude in regards to the run got the better of me.”

Chibs groaned. “Jax didn’t call you?” 

“I haven’t talked to him since he gave me the low down on my car.”

“It should have been done today, but the part got held up and it won’t be finished until tomorrow.” 

Abby groaned, staring at her running shoes that were starting to pinch her feet. She liked to challenge herself, but running to the garage was a little more than she was cut out for. As she rose to make her way back to the road, Chibs stood up and took her elbow.

“I have to go meet Clay and Bobby, but let me get someone to give you a ride back.”

She smiled, squeezing his hand as he let go of her elbow. Despite her feelings toward the club, she was thankful for the guys that looked out for her. 

“Juicy,” Chibs yelled. “Get your ass out here.” He chuckled as he looked back at Abby. “I like to torture him.”

She had to snicker at the name. She was curious as to what guy would willingly take on a nickname like Juice. She envisioned this overweight, middle aged guy with hair the color of night slicked back with a pound of gel. 

She bent down to tie her shoe as she heard the door slam shut and Chibs start to talk.

“My friend here needs a ride home since her car isn’t done yet. I have to meet Clay and Bobby so can you get Ms. Abby home safe and sound?”

Abby looked up from her shoe and froze, trying to keep from hitting the macadam. The overweight, middle aged guy with the greasy hair wasn’t what was standing in front of her, but rather it was her mystery date who didn’t go by Juan Carlos but rather Juice. She felt like her body was lead as she pulled herself to stand. She was trying to keep her feelings from coming to the surface while Chibs was standing there. If she gave any hint that they were already acquainted, she wouldn’t be the only one wanting to pummel him.

“This is Bobby’s niece so take good care of her or it will be your ass,” Chibs said with a laugh as he leaned over kissed her cheek then took off toward his bike.

Abby stood there staring out of the corner of her eye at Chibs climbing on his bike and finally taking off out of the parking lot. She shot her gaze back at Juice who was staring at her with a scared look in his wide eyes. She couldn’t speak, all she could feel was anger bubbling up inside of her. Turning on her heel, she jogged toward the lone bike parked in the lot. She started to go faster when she heard the quick pace of his boots behind her as he called her name.

She came to an abrupt stop and whipped around to meet his startled expression. “You’re a SON?” she yelled, then took a deep breath to quiet herself. Even though the guys were gone, you could never be sure of whom might be lurking around. “You’re a son?” she said again barely above a whisper.

He grabbed a helmet and handed it to her. “I was going to tell you, but-”

She grabbed the dark piece of plastic from him and put her hand up. “Save it, just take me home.” She tightened the strap dangling along the side of her face as she watched him hop on the bike, starting the engine. His head was hanging down like he was ashamed. She felt a twinge inside of her that made her want to reach out and hug him. She swung her leg over the bike and shifted her weight on the seat beneath her. Slowly, she rested her hands on each side of him and paused. She took a deep breath to calm her beating heart. It was racing from anger, but there was something more than that, there was an excitement like a schoolgirl with a crush. She had felt that several times in those few occasion she was around him. It was the feeling that kept her from being able to shake him from her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

On the ride home, Abby kept thinking about the information she had just discovered. It all made sense why Opie was acting so shifty after she told him she had been on a date with Juan Carlos Ortiz. The club didn’t have beef with him because he was a member of the club. 

By the time the bike slowed to a stop in the driveway, Abby’s anger had quieted the schoolgirl inside her. She hopped off the motorcycle, threw the helmet on the seat and headed for the back door. She didn’t bother saying thanks or anything for that matter, she just wanted to get inside to take her shower and forget he ever existed.

She ignored him calling her name from the driveway as she stayed focused on the door. Abby heard him yell for her again, but she just kept moving. She was so angry, but then that feeling crept up a little making her want to hear him out.

She spun around on her heel and watched as he slowed down, stopping inches from her face. She could smell a mix of sweat, tobacco and cologne. It threw her for a second because the strange mix was somewhat intoxicating. She straightened up and cleared her throat, getting herself grounded again. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a Son?” she asked calmly.

She watched him stuff his hands inside his pockets, staring down at his feet. She waited, hoping he would say something that made sense, but it was clear to her that nothing was going to come out of his mouth.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered with disappointment. She whipped around and grabbed the back door, storming down the hallway. She wanted to get in the shower, study for the bar and go about her business.

The sound of the backdoor swinging open caused her to jump as she heard the frantic footsteps approaching behind her.

“You’re right I should have told you that I was a Son,” Juice called in agreement.

She reached the kitchen and stopped in front of the sink, turning to meet his eyes. She scanned them intently. There was this softness to them that was sincere which tugged at her heart. 

Abby nodded and quietly replied. “Yes, you should have.”

“I panicked when you said you were Bobby’s niece then to throw in Jax, Opie and Gemma? Well, I didn’t know what to do. The way you talked about the club, it came across that you want no parts of any guy involved in it, at least romantically.”

“I don’t,” she emphasized.

Juice looked down at his shoes. “I just didn’t see the point.”

She was disappointed that he left her stare. His eyes had so much feeling behind them in that moment. It was like they were making up for what words he couldn’t get out. “Do you like the club?” she asked.

“They are my family. I don’t have any connection to my actual family and I was wandering aimlessly trying to find somewhere that I felt at home. This is what I found.”

She sighed and leaned against the fridge. “I love my uncle. I love Gemma. I love Jax and Opie, but I see what their lives are like in the club. Bobby is one step away from a heart attack. Gemma is so immersed in being the Queen of the Sons that there are times I don’t feel that I even know her. Jax lost his soul mate because she wanted out of this town and Opie’s marriage is a mess. I want something different for myself and in whatever relationship I end up in.”

She watched as he glanced down at his shoes then brought his eyes to meet hers. Juice had this intense look on his face which made Abby’s heart speed up.

“I’ve never been real great with talking to the opposite sex, but I really like spending time with you. I feel like I can just be myself around you and not some bad ass biker,” he trailed off. “I really like you, but I can tell that you aren’t like the people I spend my days and nights with. Sure, you have a connection, but it’s not who you are. I wouldn’t want to complicate that for you, but if you change your mind you know where to find me.” 

Abby watched as he walked toward the hallway to leave. As he reached it, he turned and looked at her. His eyes were so intense, but behind the intensity there was a softness that pulled at her making her want to stop him from leaving. She held his stare until he turned and disappeared down the hall. 

She jumped when she heard the back door slam shut. She inched closer to the kitchen window and watched as he hopped on the bike, slowly backing out of the driveway then speeding off down the road. She sighed and dropped her head. She had no desire to get involved with anyone right now because it didn’t fit into her life. Even if she was looking for someone there is no way that she would want it to be with a member of the Sons. She had no desire to become bound to the club as someone’s ‘old lady’. Yet here she stood, thinking nonstop about what it would be like to get to know Juice better. There was something different about him that was not like the guys she grew up around and deep down she wanted to find out if her feeling was right.  
**

After Juice left, she sat out back for the rest of the evening. She had tried to study, but her mind kept wandering back to her discovery of Juan Carlos Ortiz and she just couldn’t focus on anything else. She felt very conflicted and when she felt that way, she turned to Opie. She had tried to call him on his cell phone, but he didn’t answer. She tried the house phone, but again no answer. She knew things weren’t the best in the Winston household, but she decided to bite the bullet and head over to his house.   
Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell, hearing the sound of footsteps getting closer to the front door.

“Abby.”

She looked up and stood face to face with Donna. Donna looked annoyed, but that was the way she appeared more and more every day. “Hey Donna,” Abby gave the best smile that she could. “Is Opie here?”

Donna stood back and motioned for her to come inside. Normally, Donna was a little more talkative with her so Abby wondered if Opie and Donna were fighting again. If they were, she wouldn’t have to ask what it was about because she knew what it was over; the MC. 

Abby followed Donna into the kitchen. She turned around to say thanks, but Donna had disappeared down the hallway. Opie was sitting at the table with a beer in front of him, looking seriously distressed. She slid into the seat in front of him. She had been compiling a list of pros and cons to giving Juice a chance, but seeing Opie and Donna put a huge point in the con column.

“What’s up?” she asked Opie who was staring straight ahead.

“Same shit, different day,” he mumbled.

“Is this a bad time?” Abby asked watching him. He still wasn’t looking at her.

“It’s always a bad time in this house,” he continued to mumble. 

She wasn’t sure what to say. She felt like she was being a tad selfish showing up there to talk to him about the battle she was having in her head over Juice. Looking at the discontented look on Opie’s face made her think that her ‘issue’ paled in comparison to what was happening in his marriage. “Should I ask what happened?” Abby asked. 

“Same shit, different day,” he repeated.

“Yeah, you mentioned that,” Abby mumbled, looking down at the table. “Maybe I’ll just go and catch you tomorrow.” She was starting to think that would be the way to go. Opie didn’t need to be bogged down with trying to sort out the contents of her head.  
Finally, he looked at her. “Nah, don’t go. You obviously came over here for a reason so what is it?”

She told herself not to get into it, but her mouth had other ideas. “Why didn’t you tell me who Juan Carlos was?” she blurted.

He groaned, and then sighed, putting his head down. “So you found out?”

“Yes, I found out. Did you think that I wouldn’t?”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t for a while,” he grumbled, taking a swig of his beer then pushing it across the table at her. “You look like you could use it.”

She smiled and took a huge drink. “You’ve been avoiding me and it’s been driving me crazy. I decided to work some of my annoyance off this afternoon. I ran over to the garage to get my car only to find out that numbskull Jax forgot to inform me it was running behind schedule. Apparently, I looked like I was about to drop dead because Chibs thought I needed a ride home. He was leaving so he called for the mysterious club member Juice to take me home.” She stared at Opie waiting for him to explain his side of things. Finally after what seemed like forever, he started to speak.

“Never in a fucking million years did I expect you to tell me that Juan Carlos Ortiz was the guy you were obsessing over. So, I’m sure you can imagine how shocked I was when you said his name. If Bobby hadn’t come over, I would have told you, but then it didn’t seem right to tell you at an MC picnic especially since he was hiding in the fucking shadows like a scared little boy.” Opie chuckled quietly after that last statement.

“And?” she asked. Abby knew there was more to this story because he had yet to get to the part as to why he didn’t tell her later.

“I went and confronted him. I told him we needed to have a fucking chat so we left to go back to the clubhouse. He spilled his guts as to why he left you suddenly because he was scared shitless when you told him your connections. He knows that we would kick his ass if he hurt you and you pretty much said you had no interest in getting involved with the club in a romantic capacity.” Opie looked her dead in the eyes. “He admitted that he really liked you and couldn’t stop thinking about you. He was so fucking sappy, it made me want to upchuck.”

“Yeah, he pretty much told me all of that,” she muttered, finishing off the beer.

“That he was a fucking sap?”

Abby twirled the bottle around. “Well, it’s nice to know not all the club members are hard asses.”

He kicked her under the table and laughed when she said ouch as she kicked him back. “I felt it was his responsibility to tell you about his identity.’”

“I get it,” she answered, still spinning the bottle nervously.

“So what are you going to do?” 

She sighed and leaned back in the chair, shutting her eyes. “Nothing, I’m going to do nothing. I said I would never date a member of the club and that’s that. It’s back to studying for the bar and going on my path to become a lawyer.”  
“If that’s what makes you happy,” he commented.

She knew Opie wanted what made her happy and he would support her in whatever decision she made even if he didn’t agree with it. Abby stood up, putting her hand on Opie’s broad shoulders as she walked past him. “If you want to talk about anything, you know you can.” 

He touched her hand, letting his head fall forward. “Don’t get sappy on me Abby,” he commented with a laugh. Then he squeezed her hand. “Thanks."

Abby let herself out since Donna had vanished. She had walked over to their house since they only lived right around the corner and she thought the air would do her some good. As she walked back to her uncle’s house, she couldn’t stop thinking about this whole situation. She hated seeing Opie so miserable over Donna’s disdain toward the club. Opie loved his family, but leaving the club was never going to happen. It’s all he had ever known. Seeing the trials they endured on a day to day basis made her not want to be in any type of relationship so why was she not satisfied with what she had just told her best friend. She had spent her whole life being told how her life would play out, but as she made her way up the drive to let herself into the Munson house, she wasn’t sure she wanted her life to play out that way. There was something that was pulling her away from that path and that something was Juice Ortiz.


	8. Chapter 8

Most of the guys were out on a day run, but Juice had stayed behind to get some work done. He was updating some of their security programs and needed to concentrate to get it done correctly. 

He grabbed a beer and plopped down in front of the computer, scanning the security camera quickly. He stared out into the parking lot. Abby’s car was still sitting there. Her part had come in and Jax fixed it, but as Jax was getting ready to call her Bobby told him that she wanted to leave it in the lot for a few days. According to Bobby, she had a few days off work due to some painting being done at the shop so she was holing herself up to study. Juice’s overacting mind took over and he immediately wondered if she just didn’t want to see him. 

It weighed on him for that whole day. When night came, the normal party activities started up and Juice found himself drinking more than usual. There was a girl that kept looking him over from across the room. At some point, Tig sent her in Juice’s direction so he could steal the girl’s friend away.

Juice was so wasted that he couldn’t recall anything that had come out of his mouth. All Juice remembered was ending up in the bathroom with the girl, making out. When she went for his pants he froze. He looked at the chick, eagerly pulling at his belt and he stopped her. He just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. The girl cursed him out and stormed out of the bathroom, leaving him to think about how pissed off Abby must be and how she was clearly avoiding ever coming in contact with him.

That was two days ago and he didn’t feel any better about things. The car was like a ghost lingering over him, reminding him of her presence across town. He downed some more of the pale ale sitting in front of him and logged into the security program. He needed to immerse himself in what he was doing to get some peace inside his head.

He was startled by a honk from the parking lot. He glanced at the camera giving a full view of the area to see Gemma’s car stopped with two people inside. Aside from two prospects and a few crow eaters, he was the only person there. 

He hustled out to the lot so he wouldn’t keep Gemma waiting. As he neared the vehicle, he slowed down as Abby slid out of the passenger side. From the way her lips were pursed he could tell she was less than thrilled to see him. Her eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses so he had no idea what hid behind them, but something told him he didn’t want to know. He had to take a breath to calm himself because despite the look on her face, she looked beautiful. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders, shining in the sun. This was the most dressed up he had seen her. Her white sun dress showed off her athletic legs and freckles on her chest. He wondered if she had more freckles on her shoulders, but her jean jacket was covering them.

He got knocked out of his daydream when he heard Gemma call from the window. “I have to get to the post office before it closes, can you get Abby her car?”

“Sure thing,” he answered with a nod.

“Thanks, Gemma for taking me to Oakland for some much needed shopping therapy,” Abby called.

“No problem, baby,” Gemma said. 

Juice couldn’t help but notice how Gemma’s voice changed with Abby. It was soft and motherly. Gemma talked to Abby like she was talking to Jax. It was obvious that Gemma saw Abby as a daughter.

The lot was quiet as the two stood not saying a word. Finally, Juice broke the silence. “So, I can go get your keys. They’re in the office.”

She nodded and started walking along beside him. He was beyond nervous. He was scared shitless as they got closer to the office door. He heard her walk in behind him. His heart was out of control inside his chest. He started rustling through the papers, trying to find the right one so she could sign for her car.

“So, have you always been the kind of guy that preoccupies a girl’s mind?”

He dropped the keys he had in his hand and casually brought his eyes up. She had taken off her sunglasses and he was able to see her green eyes twinkling slightly.

“If I am that kind of guy, I’ve never been told about it.”

“Then I guess I’m the first,” she rebutted.

“Excuse me for a second, but I’m really confused here. You don’t want anything to do with me.”

“I don’t remember using that exact wording, per say,” she answered with a small laugh.

He watched as she leaned against the glass between the office and the garage. His eyes kept darting around, but the prospects were busy working away on an order. “So, what are you getting at because I have to get back to my computer?” He was trying to put a wall up somewhat so she wouldn’t see right through him that she had consumed his mind, too.

“Tara Knowles and I became fast friends because of our desire to leave Charming,” she paused and laughed again. “It’s what kept us bonded.”

Juice started shifting nervously in his spot, keeping his eyes peeled in case his brothers returned. “Abby is there…” He trailed off as she put her hand up and smiled brightly at him. He was curious as to where this was going, but he was trying to act like he didn’t care. He felt like a complete schmuck for pissing her off so he was trying to keep himself from screwing up again.

“It has been drilled into me for as long as I can remember that I’m to become a lawyer,” she sighed and slipped out of her jean jacket. “It’s exhausting.”

He swallowed as he saw that the freckles that were on her chest did continue onto her shoulders and down her arms. “So, why are you doing it?” he asked, gaining composure.

“I don’t know what else I’d do and I don’t want to disappoint my uncle. He wants to know that he honored his brother.”

“I’m really having a hard time understanding where this conversation is going.” Juice walked around the side of the desk and handed her the keys to her Explorer. “I really need to get back to work.” He put his head down and started to walk to the door. A jolt hit him like a bolt of lightning as he felt her soft, petite hand touch his forearm.

“I don’t know what it is about you, but I’m willing to look past the fact that you’re a Son,” she paused and smiled. “At least for now.”

He stared at her in disbelief. This was not where he thought this conversation was going. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, that until I can figure out what I want, I’d like to continue to hang out together,” she said bluntly. “I’m going to keep studying for the bar, but I’m going to do a little soul searching while doing it. I’d like to explore other options for my life.” 

He swallowed hard, hoping it would calm the stirring that was starting in his body. “What will Bobby say?”

“We’re not going to tell him,” she let go of his forearm and ran a hand through her hair. “We’re not going to tell anyone. If we do, everyone is going to have an opinion and do whatever they can to push their agenda. I need to sort this out for myself without any outside influence.” She let out a loud laugh. “The last thing I need is Gemma to start planning my wedding.”

He chuckled at the thought because deep down he knew that’s exactly what she would do. “Okay, well as long as you think you can do that then I’m cool with it.” He was more than cool with it, he was elated.

She brushed past him and opened the door. “I’m going into work for a few hours. I get off at six. Would you be interested in meeting in the park, same bench as before?”

He nodded, not saying anything. He still felt like he was in some sort of dream. As he watched the door close behind her, he eased over to the window facing the parking lot. A smile spread across his face as the Explorer disappeared away from the garage.


	9. Chapter 9

Juice got to the park a little before six. The guys hadn’t returned from their trip yet. Apparently, their ‘business’ in Oakland with Leroy and his crew was proving to be somewhat difficult. He told the prospects he had to run into town to look into a few software programs and headed off to grab some coffee at the diner. He figured she would be studying later so coffee might be what she needed to get her second wind after working. 

The whole ride over, he couldn’t seem to wipe the grin off of his face. He had given up any chance at getting time around her again unless it was by accident so this was too good to be true. He decided to leave his kutte in his bike. Even though she knew who he really was, Juice wanted to let that part of him behind so he could focus on showing her who he was outside of that. Sometimes; he himself forgot who that person was so it would be a nice reminder.

As he looked up, he saw her coming across the baseball field. She smiled and gave him a slight wave as he felt that grin spread across his face again. 

He stood up as she approached the bench and he froze. He had no idea what to do so he held the coffee out. “I thought I’d bring some coffee. I needed the pick me up after staring at computers all day and I figured you’d be studying.”

She took it from him, her hand brushing his slightly. “Good guess.” She plopped down on the bench, kicking her feet out in front of her.

Juice sat down beside her and passed over a small brown bag. “I drink my coffee black, but I wasn’t sure how you liked yours.” He watched as she peered into the bag and started digging around. “There are a variety of creamers and sugars.”

Abby held up a French Vanilla and two Splenda packets. “It varies from day to day what flavor I put in my coffee, but there will always be enough cream to make it look like milk and two packets of this sickeningly sweet stuff.”

He tried not to stare as she fixed her coffee on the bench. The curls were hanging in her face as she focused on mixing her hot drink to perfection. He held himself back from pushing them out of her eyes. He sucked down a long swig of the bitter stuff to keep himself from doing what he wanted.

“So, computers, is that your thing?”

“I guess you can say that. It was the one class I enjoyed and did well in when I was in school,” he answered.

“I’m sure you were good in other classes.”

He chuckled. “Does gym count?”

“It definitely does,” she laughed along with him.

School was never his gig. He found it boring and tedious, but his computer classes were enough to keep him from dropping out. “So, you had to be good in school if you went to college and law school.”

“Ah, I did alright,” she said quietly.

“I’m sure it was more than alright. I remember when I was a prospect, Bobby was gushing about how you were in the top three of your law class.”

“It was no big deal,” Abby replied somewhat embarrassed. “I did a lot better when I went off to USC then I did in high school.”

“Why do you say that?” he asked curiously.

“Because of Laurel and Hardy.” 

He looked at her confused. “Who?”

She started laughing. “Jax and Opie. The two of them are like a comedy duo sometimes and that was especially true in high school. Thank goodness I had no more than two classes with them throughout high school or else I would have been screwed.”

Juice couldn’t help but laugh. It still made him slightly uncomfortable to hear her talk about her ties to some of the members of the club, but he was trying to not focus on those feelings. “Were they not the best students?”

Abby took a swig of her coffee and looked over at him. “Let’s just say if it hadn’t been for me writing their English papers, they would have done a lot worse.”

He whistled. “That sure was nice of you.”

“Well, science and history were not my thing so they helped me out too. Jax was a big history geek even though he won’t admit it and Opie loved blowing things up in science. I’m sure his skills probably come in handy for the club.”

Juice didn’t say anything because it was true. If they needed something blown up Opie was the guy to call in for the job. Each of the guys had a niche. Juice’s was computer and Opie’s was explosives.

“Oh, and Tara was great in math. Thank goodness because that was one thing I didn’t inherit from the Munson’s.”

“Bobby is definitely a math whiz,” Juice commented. Even though Bobby was the secretary of the club he always handled the accounting too.

“My dad was too. He almost went on to be an accountant like my grandfather, but he changed his mind his second year of college when he joined the debate team to get close to my mom. He walked out of that semester with a girlfriend and a new major.”

“So, I have to ask,” Juice started, leaning over to Abby. “What’s it like to be Jewish?”

She burst out laughing at the question. “I don’t practice. My mom wasn’t Jewish which was quite the controversy with the elder Munson’s, but they got over it. My dad and uncle were quite the rebels when it came to the Jewish faith.”

He paused before saying something because at that moment he realized that this was what it was like to have a ‘normal’ conversation with someone of the opposite sex. He had begun to wonder if that was even possible anymore, but here he was doing that very thing.

As he began to open his mouth, his phone rang. He glanced down to see it was Chib’s calling. His heart started beating even faster, but this time it wasn’t because of Abby. It was a fear of someone finding out who he was with. He muttered ‘excuse me’ and got up from the bench, walking over toward the tree a few feet in the distance.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Juicy, where ya at?”

Juice glanced over his shoulder at Abby who had her head back and eyes closed. “I came into town to talk to Pete at the computer store about some programs to help speed up our operating system.” He hoped his voice wasn’t giving off any hint of being nervous.

“Clay wants everyone in church in twenty minutes to talk about our meeting in Oakland.”

“Sure, twenty minutes, I’ll be there,” he chimed. He hung up and sighed. He knew this was going to be the norm for him and her. He hoped she could handle it.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he walked back over to the bench. “Hey, I gotta go. There’s a meeting in twenty minutes I need to be at the club for.”

Abby smiled. “Ah, church, gotcha.”

Juice smiled with her. He almost forgot that he didn’t have to gloss over certain terms that were thrown around within the MC. She knew some of them. He slid onto the bench. “This was fun. I hope we can do it again. I know we’ll have to get somewhat creative, but I look forward to it.”

“Can you get away for the weekend?” she blurted.

He almost fell off the bench at the question that came out of nowhere. “Um, I’m sure I can think of something. Why?” He was curious as to where this line of questioning was coming from. She was full of surprises that particular day.

“I’m going to San Diego for the weekend. My advisor from law school called me last week about some shindig at the Dean’s house on Saturday. Since I was in the top three of my class, he thought it would be a good idea for me to come to it since there will be a lot of higher ups from various firms there.”

He grew completely silent as he let everything wash over him. This was definitely out of his comfort zone. A ‘thing’ where there would be a bunch of snotty lawyers was not his idea of a fun weekend away. For a split second, he almost told her that she shouldn’t waste her time on him because it was obvious they were from two different worlds, but as he looked over at her he stopped himself from saying those words. That ‘normal’ feeling that he had been feeling this whole time with her was too good to pass up.

“I know it probably seems incredibly pushy of me to be asking since we barely know each other, but I really don’t like going to these things and was going to bag it, but I thought it would be fun to get out of Charming to just hang out without all our baggage hanging over us.” She leaned over. 

He had to admit, she was right. It was hard for them to truly get to know each other in the right way because of all the connections in Charming. It would be nice to hang out without having to look over their shoulders. Going away would give them each an idea of whether or not this was something they wanted to pursue. Sure, it was out of his comfort zone, but Abby was out of hers just by giving him a chance.

“Ok, I’ll come up with some way to get away for the weekend,” he paused, and clapped his hands together. “Let’s go.”

Her eyes shot over to his with a look of excitement on her face. “Really?”

“Sure, why not? It’s not my cup of tea, but how bad could it be?” He said that last part to mainly calm his nervousness. 

“Great,” she beamed. “Why don’t I meet you on the edge of town around two on Friday?”

Juice stood up and put his hand out to help her off the bench. As he pulled her up, their bodies almost touched as he stared down at her twinkling eyes. He could feel his body stir at their close proximity as he felt his phone buzz. It had to be someone checking on his ETA. 

“Sounds great,” he quickly replied and told her goodbye as he jogged out of the park to his bike. 

He didn’t know what he was going to tell the guys, but the ride back would hopefully give him a story that sounded good to not raise suspicions. He sure hoped he came up with something because the nervousness in his stomach was almost debilitating.  
**

As Juice sat in church, trying to focus completely on Clay’s update on the meeting with Leroy, he kept trying to make up a reason to leave town. The whole drive back from the park, he couldn’t come up with a damn thing. His mind was completely blank, Clay was wrapping things up and he needed to think of something. 

Clay finished and everyone began to filter out into the main room of the clubhouse where music was playing and drinks were flowing among the croweaters, prospects and various others. He walked over to the bar and grabbed a beer. He took a long swig, feeling the coldness glaze over his throat just as a hand slid around his waist. He looked over at a dark haired girl that he had never seen before saddle up next to him.

“What’s your name hot stuff,” she cooed.

“Juice,” he muttered. “I’m not sure I know you.” He had no interest in this chick, rubbing her hand along his side, but he was curious as to who she was.

“I’m a friend of Wendy’s. She invited me to come along with her because I was looking to find someone to have some fun with.”

Juice smiled as she licked her lips and winked at him. He took her hand and moved it away from his side. “Sorry, but I’ve got some work to attend to, but there are plenty of other options.” He walked away as she looked at him with a glare.

He sat down at his computer and stared at the blue screen in front of him. The programs were not working up to par which was driving him crazy. They were so outdated, but in Charming there weren’t a lot of options for good hacking software. That’s when it hit him, the answer to his dilemma. He jumped up, almost knocking his beer over and made a beeline for Clay. 

Clay was puffing on a cigar talking to Bobby and Tig. As he approached, Clay looked over at him. “How’s the computer running, Juice?”

“Well, that’s why I came to talk to you,” he answered, trying to keep his voice steady. “The program we’ve been running to access all the local and state databases is really outdated which is going to make certain things we do hard.”

“What do we do about it?” Bobby asked curiously.

“There’s a guy I used to run around with when I spent some time in Southern Cal that does a little business on the side selling the latest hacking software. I thought maybe I could take a run down there this weekend.”

Clay raised his eyebrows and threw back a shot of whiskey. “Why do you need the weekend?”

Juice could feel his heart picking up speed as he smiled slightly. “There was a broad I used to hook up with when I was down that way. I thought I could do a little business and throw in some pleasure too.” He almost jumped when he felt Tig’s hand hit his shoulder as a boisterous laugh came out of his mouth.

“That a boy, Juice,” Tig proclaimed. “There’s hope for you yet.”

Clay looked over at Bobby who shrugged his shoulders while nodding slightly. Turning back to Juice, Clay took a puff on his cigar then exhaled loudly. “Okay, Juice, go and see what you can come up with. We’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone.” He smiled and slapped his back.

Juice nodded and swallowed the rest of the beer as the three staggered into the sea of people. He couldn’t help but smile. He had managed to pull it off without a hitch. He would just have to keep his phone close to him at all times just in case and convince Abby to let him sneak away to visit with his buddy. Other than that, the weekend was starting to look up for him and he hadn’t been this excited in a long time.


	10. Chapter 10

Juice shifted nervously as he stood along the road waiting for Abby to pick him up. He had managed to get out of the clubhouse at a decent time. Because of this, he ran to his studio apartment to take a quick shower and throw some items into his duffel bag. 

The guys had been asking him for the past several days where he was headed. He kept up with what he had fed Clay and everyone believed him. Of course, everyone had to get their jeers in about him and his ‘hookup’ having a weekend rendezvous while he was on computer business. He let them have their fun because he didn’t want to act like it was just a story. 

He glanced over his shoulder as he saw her car in the distance. His stomach picked up its backflips as she slowed to a stop. He was so far outside his comfort zone, he wasn’t sure if he could go through with it. As he opened the door to her big smile and twinkling, emerald eyes, he suddenly didn’t feel as uncomfortable. He felt like this was exactly where he was to be.

“Sorry I’m running a few minutes late,” she started as she drove off down the road. “Bobby needed to give me his fatherly speech; don’t get overly drunk, don’t get hurt and don’t come home with an STD.”

Juice coughed. “He really said that?” He wasn’t sure why he was so surprised. It sounded like something Bobby would say.

“Yeah, that’s his idea of good parenting. Gemma was always more thorough and so damn scary with her speeches.”

She handed him a case of CDs. “I threw a bunch of my music in here if you want to pick something. I have a very eclectic taste so whatever floats your boat. I spared you my indie rock and chick music.”

He chuckled as he flipped through the array of discs. There was music ranging from AC/DC to Poison to Johnny Cash to Elvis. “Elvis, really?”

Abby laughed loudly. “You can’t grow up with Bobby Elvis and not listen to The King,” she paused. “I used to go with him to some of his gigs. When I was a kid I would sit in the audience in awe that my uncle was on stage, dressed in his get up, belting out Elvis Presley tunes.”

“I take it the novelty wore off when you got older?” Juice asked as he pulled out Def Leppard and popped it in the player. 

“Yeah, I guess. His gigs dwindled and I started hanging with my trio of friends all the time so I didn’t go too much. Once when we were seniors, Tara, Jax and Opie went with me,” she paused and laughed. “It was so much fun. Bobby really amped things up. He even got Tara on stage and serenaded her. Then Jax caught one of his scarves that he threw into the audience. Jax wore that damn thing for the rest of the night. Opie was trying to take it from him which really riled things up.”

Juice laughed as he pictured Jax walking around being overly dramatic with one of Bobby Elvis’s scarves wrapped around his neck. He looked over at her. She was watching the road with a small smile on her face which made him smile too. It was clear to him that she really loved her family and friends. 

“I went to one of his shows once when I was a prospect. He takes it so seriously, but he was so damn good on stage.”

“Music was always a big thing for both sides of my family. My dad and Bobby played guitar. When they were teenagers they were in a band. Some of the photos I have seen are hysterical. Supposedly there is an old home video around of them performing, but I think he has it locked away somewhere so I can’t get my hands on it,” she paused and got quiet. “My mom was more into singing in choirs, playing piano and violin so opposite end of the spectrum.”

“Do you play?” he asked curiously. He wanted to know everything about her so he found all this talk very interesting.

“Bobby tried teaching me the guitar when I was older, but my hands are just too small. I started piano lessons when I was five and it was something Bobby made sure I continued when I came to live with him.”

Juice realized the big piano in Bobby’s house seemed to make sense now. He always thought it seemed out of place in his bachelor pad. He thought maybe it had been his ex-wife’s, but with a name like Precious, Juice thought that was probably unlikely.

“I’d love to hear you play,” he said quietly.

Abby smiled brightly and looked over at him. “Well, I’d love to play for you.”

He couldn’t help but beam at her response. There was something about her playing the piano that seemed so comforting to him. His grandmother used to play piano and it was one good memory he had from his childhood that seemed so long ago.  
**

The almost eight hours in the car flew by for Juice who was loving the conversation with Abby. They spent a lot of the ride arguing over which hair bands from the eighties were the best and talking about the music she listened to now. He asked her a ton of questions about college since that was something he never aspired to. All of his years hating high school and barely making it through, were enough for him to not even consider college. He had a teacher once tell him that if he continued on the track he was on, Community College wouldn’t even accept him. 

Abby pulled up to a huge, modern looking building with the words The Pacific Terrace Hotel lit up in blue. Even though it was dark he could see from the lights along the outside, that the landscape was beautiful with tropical flowers and palm trees. He was pretty sure he had never seen or stayed in anything like this.

He snapped out of his daze when he heard a tap on his window. Abby was standing outside pointing to the front door of the hotel. He hadn’t even realized that she had exited the car because he was enraptured with the beauty of the hotel.

Quickly, he grabbed his duffel bag and hurried to follow her inside. As they approached the front door, Abby turned to him.

“I reserved one of the rooms with the full ocean view. I don’t see the point in staying in a hotel with a full view of the ocean and not take advantage of that.”

He stood completely still as he watched her disappear inside the lobby. A full, ocean view was more than he had anticipated. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he suddenly felt like he had been transported into some fantasy world because this was nowhere close to his reality.

Juice strolled into the spacious lobby where Abby was signing the receipt for the room. He overheard her tell a guy with a bunch of bags they were in room 351. She turned to Juice and smiled. “So, I have a little bit of a shopping addiction.”  
He chuckled and pointed to the guy who had just disappeared into the elevator. “Was that all yours?”

“Yes,” she meekly answered. “I really don’t go shopping that much, but when I do watch out. My mom loved to shop so I guess I picked it up from her. It doesn’t help Gemma loves to shop too.”

As they approached the elevator, she turned to him. “Just so you know, the room has two beds. When I asked you to go on the trip, I advertised it as a way for us to get out of Charming so we could really get to know each other. Even though I am really attracted to you, I want for us to truly learn about each other.” She glanced down at her hands. “I hope that’s alright.”

He wasn’t going to lie, he was slightly disappointed that there were two beds, but he understood and he wanted nothing more than to get to know her too. “It’s absolutely fine.” He smiled at her as their eyes met. He couldn’t wait to start this adventure with her.  
**

Juice stared down at the clothes he had on. He couldn’t remember the last time he had worn anything other than his normal get up. His everyday attire was filled with t-shirts, boots, hoodies, black pants and the occasional camo ones. When he agreed to go on the trip with her, it hit him on the ride back to the club that he had no idea what he would pack.

He had dug deep in his drawers and closet to find a couple button up shirts that he must have had from years ago. He wasn’t sure where they had come from or if they would fit, but he packed them. 

Now, here he was walking down the boardwalk with a pair of crisp black pants and a purple short sleeve, button down linen shirt covering his body. He was relieved to find the clothes fit him and that he looked ‘normal’. This self-conscious feeling about his appearance was anything but normal. Back in Charming his looks didn’t matter, but this wasn’t Charming and he didn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb. Not to mention, Abby had informed him in the car that he would need a suit which was way out of his comfort zone. The only time he ever remembered wearing a suit was when he was a kid going to church with his grandmother.

Abby looked so calm walking beside him. The jeans looked amazing on her as did the burgundy shirt cinched with a brown belt to show off her waist. The brown boots and leather jacket to match made her look casual yet sophisticated. He couldn’t help but notice how she looked like she fit in compared to him, but he had to tell himself that it was just his imagination. 

“Here we are,” Abby announced as she stopped in front of a building that said Duck Dive on the door. 

She had mentioned that she had been told about this place by a few friends and thought it’d be fun to try out. He agreed, but knew he would pretty much agree to anything as long as it was with her.

The hostess took them to a table tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. He slid into the booth only half hearing what the specials were as he scanned the menu. He heard Abby thank the waitress as he looked up and smiled in the ladies direction as she left them to decide what to order.

“So, I must tell you,” Abby spoke up. “I love to eat.”

He laughed. “Is that a Munson trait?”

“I guess it is, but I try to be as healthy as I can. My uncle loves having me back, but hates that I make him eat healthy too,” she chuckled. “However, when I’m on vacation all bets are off. I go all out and could probably eat and drink most anyone under the table.”

“So, it’s half a trait?” Juice asked.

She laughed. “A half trait, I like the way you put that Mr. Ortiz.”

He could feel his cheeks getting warmer as the two stared at each other. She broke the silence by pointing to the drink menu. “I’m going to order this drink; it’s called The Sugar Daddy. The name is hysterical plus it has cherry vodka in it so I can’t resist.”

“Are you a vodka drinker?”

“Vodka, wine, beer, tequila, a shot of whiskey every now and again,” she paused. “I think I’m starting to make myself sound like a lush so I’ll shut up now.”

“Nah, it’s cute.” He smiled as he noticed her cheeks were a slight pink after he made that comment.

She glanced down over the drink menu again and looked back at him. “What are you getting?”

“Well,” he stopped and scanned the beer. He had no idea what half these beers were. This was new for him. “I have to admit, I tend to drink Budweiser or Miller Light because that’s what we keep stocked at the club.” He continued to stare at the menu. He knew he had to step out of his box. He liked her a lot. He wanted to see where this could go so he needed to find a way to get outside of his comfort zone. She had made it very clear to him that she didn’t want to date someone in the club, but here she was giving him a chance to see if it had potential. He wanted to meet her halfway even if this was very foreign to him. 

He saw the waitress come over to take their drink order. Abby ordered first and then the spotlight was on him. He cleared his throat. “Can I get a Fat Tire?” He heard Abby chuckle at the name. He thanked the waitress and turned to Abby. “I thought the name was interesting.” 

She nodded in agreement as she read the description. “It’s an amber red ale, which sounds yummy.”

He leaned forward and whispered. “I’ll let you have a drink of it if I can try yours. With a name like The Sugar Daddy, how can someone not want to try it?'

She outstretched her hand. “Deal?”

Juice stared down at her small hand, held out in front of him. Slowly, he gripped it and shook it firmly. Her skin was soft against his as they stopped shaking and just held their hands together not moving. He felt his heart skip a beat as he looked up at her staring at him intently. He jumped and dropped her hand as he heard the waitress return to the table, placing their drinks in front of them. 

As promised they each got to try the others drink. From there, they observed the people throughout the restaurant, each giving their opinions of what the deal was with certain ones. At one point in their conversation, they were both wiping tears from their eyes from laughter.

Once they finished eating, Abby cleared her throat. “So, I don’t know if you saw on the menu, but they have tableside smores.”

“Tableside smores?”

“They bring all the stuff to make smores and you cook them right here on the table,” she said excitedly.

“I take it you like smores?’ he commented with a laugh.

“I love them,” she squealed. “I used to make smores all the time when I was growing up. I remember being over at Gemma’s when I was ten, she pulled out all the stuff for us to make them and we went outside to build a fire to do just that. One day after school, Opie came over to do homework. Gemma was on the phone so Jax and I thought it’d be cool to show Opie how to make the smores over the fire. Let’s just say, the fire department was called.”

He laughed and looked at her with wide eyes. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. Gemma was beyond pissed after they left. Once she calmed down, she taught us how to make them in the microwave.”

“So, it sounds like there was always something going on when you were growing up?” Juice asked, curiously.

She took a sip of her drink and laughed. “With those two guys, yes. Somehow, I always got pulled into it. I always tried to be the voice of reason, but it would usually go out the window.”

The smores came and they began preparing them. He sat back and watched her do everything in a very particular order. She had pulled her hair back in a low ponytail. He watched as one of her curls fell out of the ponytail and cascaded along the side of her face. He wanted to reach out to brush it back just so he could feel her pale skin, but he refrained.

Juice grabbed the check when it came. He put his hand up as he saw Abby begin to open her mouth in protest. “You drove, paid for the room and told me you were paying for my suit. Let me take care of everything else.” He watched as she acquiesced. Money was definitely not an issues, he had plenty of cash which was a big perk of being a Son.

It was after twelve and Juice felt like he was getting his second wind as they exited the restaurant. He glanced over at her as she was zipping up her jacket, a slight yawn emerging from her. He was used to keeping late hours and sleeping very little, but he knew she had to be exhausted from the drive.

“Do you want to head back to the hotel?” he asked.

“Nah, I’m good for another hour or so. Why don’t we walk for a while?”

He filed in beside her as they headed down the boardwalk. There were still a lot of people out, but not as many as a few hours before. When she told him the story about the smores incident, there were a few questions that had popped into his head, but he had been hesitant to ask. He knew Opie and Jax were like brothers to her growing up, but there was this sense inside him that made him wonder if Opie was a little bit more. 

The hotel was just two buildings away and he was feeling sullen because the night was almost over. He wanted to keep talking to her all night long. He started to open his mouth to ask if she wanted to walk a little further, but her phone rang as he began. He watched as she looked at it and mouthed the name Opie to her. 

He tried to turn his attention elsewhere, lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply. The wonder of their relationship crept back into his head as he stared at the lights streaming from the hotel. Since meeting her, he paid attention when he would hear the mention of her name among the guys. Jax always talked like she was the annoying sister that he adored, but drove him crazy while Opie spoke differently of her. He had this tenderness in his voice when he talked about Abby. Juice knew that the guys would do anything to protect her, but Opie seemed more protective. It just brought up questions about their involvement growing up.

He heard her say goodbye as he turned around. Abby was staring at her phone with a look of concern on her face. “Everything alright?” he asked.

She shoved the phone back in her pocket and nodded. “He was just making sure I got here okay. I have a feeling that him and Donna were fighting again. I didn’t ask because he wouldn’t say much anyway. He knows I know that they fight about the same thing all of the time.”

Juice stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed her into the hotel. He knew what she was referring to. The couple fought about the club and Opie’s involvement. It was common knowledge among the guys. 

He followed her into the room and excused himself out to the balcony to watch the ocean before bed. He lit a cigarette and stretched his legs out, settling back into the plush chair. The night turned out much better than he expected. What started out as nervousness turned into feeling completely normal among a different setting than he was used to. He was starting to feel that having some normal in his life was within his reach.

He was startled out of his daydream as the door came open. He looked back as she stepped onto the balcony. He took in a long drag of his cigarette to keep from gawking at her in a tank top and striped pajama pants. He could see the outline of her chest that was free of a bra under her thin shirt. He averted his eyes as she walked to the railing. As she leaned forward to get a glimpse of the ocean, he noticed color peeking out of her sleeve.

“You have ink?” he exhaled.

She nodded. “I have a vine across my back with three lilies on it. Each lily represents the color from my parents and my birthdays. My birthday is in October, my mom in June and my dad in March. I would show you, but I’m afraid I would be exposing myself a little too much” Abby smiled and pointed inside. “I’m going to climb into bed. No matter how hard I try to sleep in; it never seems to work out that way.”

He sat there for a little longer taking in the sounds of the ocean. He was pretty tired and he wanted to get up when she did. He took one last look at the water before shutting the balcony door. The room was dark other than the light peeking in from the street lamps lining the boardwalk. He kicked off his shoes and stretched. He pulled off his shorts and stripped down to his boxer briefs. As he climbed into bed, he glanced over at her. She had the comforter pulled almost to her chin. She was curled up on her side with both hands tucked under her cheek. A wispy curl, fell along the side of her face while the rest of it flowed across the pillow. She looked completely peaceful. He kept watching her, wondering if this could be the start of something. He really hoped so because with her he felt a part of him come alive that he never thought was there. It made him feel like he was more than a biker with a rap sheet.


	11. Chapter 11

Juice rolled over and groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. The sun was hitting him through the cracks in the shutters. He wasn’t a morning person until he had a cup or two of coffee. Slowly, he stretched out as far as he could, letting out a yawn. He hadn’t slept that soundly in a very long time. He wasn’t sure if it was the soft queen sized bed, the fact that he knew he wouldn’t be woken up by a Sons emergency or the fact that he knew Abby was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him. 

He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked around the room, realizing he was alone. It was dead silent except for the slight hum coming from the vent. Falling back on the pillow, he decided to shut his eyes for a little longer. It was very rare that he got a chance to sleep in.

As he felt himself drifting off, he heard the door creak open. He opened one eye and peered out from the covers. Abby was tip toeing across the floor toward her bed. He couldn’t help but admire her. Other than the curly hair, she really bore no resemblance to Bobby.

Slowly, he pushed him back up onto his elbows and smiled at her. “Good morning.”

She plopped down on the bed across from him. He had hoped she would plop down on his bed, but no such luck. She placed a coffee on the stand next to his side of the bed. “Coffee,” she began. “Black, the way you like it.” She smiled. “Did you sleep well?”

“I slept great. It was nice to sleep without any interruptions from the club,” he answered grabbing the cup of coffee from the table and taking a long sip.

“Good, I’m glad,” she replied with a smile. “I thought we could go look for that suit in a little bit then grab a bite to eat somewhere.”

He nodded, trying to ignore the thought of suit shopping. He threw the covers back and slid out of bed. “I’m gonna jump in the shower.” 

“Sounds good.”

Juice couldn’t help but notice that when she responded, she kept her eyes on her coffee, studying it intently. He stifled a laugh because he knew she was trying to keep from ogling him. So far the day was starting off on a great note.

**  
He had lingered in the shower enjoying the hot water and the silence. Since he never knew when something was going to happen with the club, everything was rushed which included taking a shower if he even had time to take one. 

He toweled off the steamed mirror and stared at it. He kept expecting to open his eyes and be standing in his small studio apartment or standing in the clubhouse, but here he was in a posh hotel in San Diego with a girl that made him blush. He looked at the clothes lying on the vanity; olive green cargo pants and a black T-shirt. He really didn’t have much to choose from. 

He finished in the bathroom and stepped back into the room, “Ok, I’m read…” he trailed off and realized she wasn’t in the room. He figured she had stepped out for something so he scooped up his cigarettes and coffee to take advantage of the balcony.

As he approached the door, he realized it was cracked and he heard her voice. He stepped to the side so she wouldn’t see him. He could hear her talking to someone. Juice inched a few steps closer. Maybe she was talking to Bobby. She had mentioned that she had to check in with him each day in order to keep him and a posse of his brothers from showing up in San Diego. 

That was the last thing Juice wanted to see happen since he would more than likely not make it back to Charming in one piece. He started to turn away because he felt bad for listening in on her conversation, but when she laughed that cutesy laugh he heard a lot, he froze in place. 

In the pit of his stomach; Juice knew who she was talking to. She was talking to her best friend and his fellow brother. It was becoming more and more clear to him that the two of them were a lot closer than he ever imagined. It twisted his stomach into knots. 

He jumped when he heard her finishing up the conversation. Lunging around her bed, he plopped down on his and stretched his legs out. Quickly, he snatched up the remote and turned on Sports Center. 

When she shut the door, he shifted his attention to her pasting a big smile on his face in hopes of covering up the nagging feeling in his gut.

“Hey,” she beamed. “Were you waiting long?”

“Nah.” He pointed to her phone. “Bobby?”

“Opie,” she paused, looking down at her phone. “I thought I’d check in with him since he sounded distressed last night. He would have done the same thing for me.” 

He nodded, not saying anything. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him. Juice liked Opie; he was like a big brother so Juice wasn’t sure why every time they talked it made him jumpy. Was it the fact that this was a secret he was keeping from his brothers or because he felt that he would never measure up to that bond that Opie had with her? 

“I tried calling Bobby, but he didn’t answer his phone which isn’t surprising.” She stopped and grew silent.

“Clay probably has him tied up with something,” Juice chimed in. 

She nodded. “Probably. Speaking of Clay, I should check in with Gemma this afternoon. Don’t let me forget because she would be quicker to send a search party for me than Bobby.”

He laughed and put up his hand. “I promise. I think Gemma scares me more than Bobby.”

“Wise statement.” She laughed and pointed to the door. “You ready to go suit shopping?”

Juice flipped off the television. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” With that statement, thoughts of Opie slipped out of his mind and all thoughts were on spending a whole day with Abby Munson.

**  
Juice kept staring at himself in the mirror. He almost didn’t recognize the man looking back at him. The black pin striped suit, green shirt and black tie looked pretty damn good on him. Abby had insisted several times when he tried it on that it looked great, but he wasn’t convinced. Even after he watched two women in the store check him out and Abby giving them death looks while they did it, he still wasn’t sure he looked the way she said he did. Now, standing in front of the full length mirror, he couldn’t help but agree with her. It was amazing the difference a suit made. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this confident. 

He heard the bathroom door open as he slowly turned around, taking one last look in the mirror. He met her eyes with a smile as they both stared at each other. He wanted to compliment her, but the words just weren’t coming to his mouth. She looked gorgeous. The purple, ruffled, one shouldered dress showed off the freckles that he thought were adorable. She had on long earrings that dangled along the side of her neck. Those along with her hair pulled back accentuated her neck that he longed to touch. The short dress and high heels showcased off the legs that he hoped to run a hand up someday. 

Juice cleared his throat. “You look fantastic.” He thought that sounded cheesy, but it was the only thing his brain communicated to his mouth because he couldn’t think straight. 

He thought she appeared calm, cool and collected as she smiled, saying, “That suit really does look great on you.”

Smoothing his hands down the front of his jacket, he responded, “Thanks. I think I’m getting used to it.”

The phone on the end table rang. She snatched it up and said a few words before hanging up. “I called a cab. I thought that would be best because I tend to over indulge at these things to keep from getting bored.”

He laughed as he walked to the door. He found it funny that she had just finished law school, wanted to go on to be a lawyer in a big firm yet found all the schmoozing boring. It showed she was a small town girl at heart despite her feelings toward Charming.

Opening the door for her, he placed his hand on the small of her back as they stepped into the hallway. Her green eyes met his as he smiled. “Hopefully, with me being there it won’t be too terrible,” he said quietly. He felt a bolt of electricity course through his spine as they held each other’s gaze. The worrying and nervousness was replaced with a hope for things to work out with her. 

**  
The party was in full swing. Juice had excused himself to the veranda overlooking the beach. He stared at the moon bouncing off the water as he smoked a cigarette. He couldn’t get over how amazing the Dean’s place was. He thought places like this only existed in movies. His favorite part of the place was where he was standing. 

The outside of this place made the inside look amateur. The outside was a huge marble veranda that was just steps away from the beach. There was a huge area for cooking outside with a ton of furniture and a huge fire pit. The hot tub and pool were at the other end and the pool looked like it cascaded right onto the beach. It was so elaborate yet he felt at peace standing out there among people that were so opposite of him. There was this calm over him that he hadn’t felt in many years. He wasn’t sure if it was the sounds of the ocean, the whiskey he was drinking or if there was something magical in the air, but he liked it. For being so worked up over going to this thing, he was pleasantly surprised that he was so calm. Everyone he had met was very nice and accepting of him which was a load off. 

He took a slow sip from his whiskey then a drag on his cigarette. He leaned over the edge of the wall and lost himself in the waves coming over the sand. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Juice smiled as he heard her voice approaching. “It certainly is.” 

“I hope you’re not too bored,” she said, sipping her wine. “Sorry I got held up back there. That was the firm that wants me to join their group of lawyers.”

“I totally understand and I’m not bored. I could stand out here forever and not get tired of this view.” He swirled the ice in his glass. “Did I hear someone say this whiskey is almost four hundred dollars a bottle?”

“I’m sure it is. The Dean is a huge whiskey connoisseur. I’m pretty sure he has bottles worth thousands.”

Juice froze with the glass in his hand. He rarely drank whiskey, but there was no beer being served so his options were limited. If he drank whiskey at the clubhouse, it was either Old Crow or Grand Dad. There was nothing this fancy flowing among the Sons.

He looked down as she took his glass of whiskey out of his hand, placing it and her empty wine glass on a tray as a waiter passed by. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“Now?” Juice asked, surprised.

“Yes, right now.” She laughed and took off toward the beach, taking her shoes off as gracefully as she could. She grabbed a towel from one of the chairs by the pool and took off.

He laughed and found himself in a light jog to catch up with her. He stepped onto the sand and realized he was still in his shoes. He kicked them off, tugging to get his socks off too. “Aren’t they going to miss you?”

She waved her hand back toward the party. “Nah. We’ll be back before anyone notices we’re gone. These parties can go until the wee hours.”

He watched as Abby turned around and went to where the water met the beach. She started kicking up the water, waving for him to join her.

“My suit’s gonna get wet,” he commented. He couldn’t believe he just said that. He sounded like a prissy girl. Quickly, he threw in the comment. “I don’t want it to get messed up since you bought it.”

“It’s just water. I’ll have it dry cleaned for you.” She kicked some water in his direction which made him laugh as he sprinted down to where she was. 

They walked down the beach until the lights from the house were barely visible. She threw the towel down and parked herself on it. He looked down as she patted the towel for him to join.

Abby glanced over at him. “You’re really worried about that suit aren’t you?”

He quietly laughed. He didn’t know why he was so worried about it. He knew it could be dry cleaned and it wasn’t like sand didn’t just brush off. He looked down at the sand. “I know I’m being stupid about the suit, but I seriously haven’t worn anything this nice since I was a kid. I didn’t think I would feel comfortable or even be able to pull something like this off, but I’m kinda digging dressing up for the evening.”

A smile spread across her face. She started nudging him in the ribs. “What was that Juan Carlos?”

He turned to face her. “Seriously, this has been a lot of fun.” He studied her face in the light of the moon. Her skin looked flawless. Her eyes sparkled and danced in the light. The curls floating in the breeze were making him crazy. He just wanted to push them out of her face and run his hand down her cheek to her neck. He inched a little closer to her to where he could feel her breath lightly on his skin. Suddenly, he turned quickly to stare back at the ocean. 

He felt her shift next to him. He had wanted to lean over and kiss her just then, but something stopped him. He could feel that nagging feeling about Opie creeping up. Not to mention, he really liked her in more than just a physical way and he didn’t want to jump the gun.

“Are you alright?” Abby asked.

Juice nodded as he looked over at her. Taking a deep breath, he began, “I’ve been wanting to ask you something, but haven’t been sure how to bring it up.”

“You just ask and bring it up,” she answered. 

“Did you and Opie ever date?” he blurted.

He watched as Abby leaned back, fixed on his face. He hadn’t planned to ask it like that, but it had been building up inside that the question just popped out. He watched as she burst into laughter. He wasn’t sure what was so funny, but he supposed that laughing was better than her yelling at him for asking such a thing.

Abby caught her breath, finally answering, “I’m sorry. That wasn’t what I thought you were going to ask me.”

“What did you think I was going to ask you?” Juice asked curiously.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Oh…” he trailed off. He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t used to this. Normally, he would meet a girl at one of the parties at the Club while everyone was getting shitfaced then one drunken thing would lead to another and the next thing he knew, he would be waking up next to a naked chick. This was completely foreign to him.

“So,” she paused. “No, Opie and I never dated. I never felt that way toward him. Like Jax, he was like a brother. Not to mention, he truly is my best friend so I just couldn’t see him any other way.” She leaned back on her elbows and stretched her legs out. “I think Donna struggles with our relationship at times because I’m not sure she believes that we’ve always just been platonic, but it’s the honest to goodness truth.”

He felt a sense of relief come over him. If she had said yes, he would have continued to pursue her, but he would have been a lot like Donna.

“There was this girl that was in love with Opie in high school. Her name was Jessie Phillips. She hated me because he never paid any attention to her. She blamed it on me. The thing was,” she leaned over. “He thought she was a whore, which she was, and that was why he wasn’t interested. Unlike Jax, Opie doesn’t think with his dick.” 

He chuckled. It was no secret that Jax had become a man whore after Tara left him. Jax and Wendy were so up and down so when they were down, he took advantage of whatever willing woman was available. 

Abby chuckled. “I guess you could say she was my nemesis.”

“Wow, a nemesis,” he commented, chuckling along with her. 

He glanced over at her and thought back to the question she had expected him to ask. He figured he should address that too. He knew that if a relationship was something they both wanted, keeping communication between them was a necessity. 

Juice cleared his throat. “So, about the question you thought I was going to ask.” He stopped and watched as she turned her eyes to face him. The light was still dancing off of them and for a second, he lost his train of thought. “Here’s the deal. I don’t know a lot about this relationship stuff because it’s not something I have a lot of experience with. I want nothing more than to kiss you and then some, but I want to see what it’s like to be normal with a girl.” He took his hand and pushed the hair out of her face, grazing the side of her cheek. He felt her nuzzle her cheek into his hand as it passed by. 

He continued to keep his eyes on her as she turned to face him completely. She reached out and touched the side of his face. He felt a shiver come over him at the simple gesture as he met her smile with one back.   
“I’m all for normal,” she responded, smiling as she stood up.

Juice was shocked at how easy that was. He said what he felt and she answered with a simple statement that said a lot. He pushed himself to stand as she grabbed the towel, shaking it off. He filed in next to her as they began to walk back to the party. He couldn’t help but smile as he kicked the sand along with her. His smile grew even wider as he felt her hand slide into his. He was beginning to think he could do this relationship thing with a girl and it felt really great.


	12. Chapter 12

Abby opened one eye and stared at the ceiling. She wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn she heard ringing. Being half asleep, her mind was still fuzzy feeling like she was still in a dream. 

When she heard a voice softly saying her name, her haze cleared realizing where she was. She turned her head to see Juice looking over at her through half open eyes, pointing to the phone on the nightstand.

Pushing herself up on her elbows, she reached over and grabbed the phone. “Hello,” she answered, groggily.

“Hey baby, did I wake you?”

Abby glanced over at Juice who was watching her. She mouthed ‘Gemma’ to him and turned back to the voice on the other end. “Sort of. I tried calling you yesterday, but you didn’t answer. Is everything ok?”

Gemma snorted. “Junkie whore problems.”

Abby rolled her eyes. Gemma was talking about Wendy who had quite the drug habit. Abby was never fond of Wendy during high school and had yet to find anything redeeming in the girl.

“Are you doing okay in San Diego?”

She glanced over at Juice who had curled up and shut his eyes. She smiled. “Things are just fine in San Diego.”

“Well, shit, I was hoping you were going to say that last night was painful. You know so you could forgo the lawyer job and stay in Charming.”

Abby chuckled as she heard someone yelling in the background. It was her uncle who was disagreeing with Gemma’s wish. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of Bobby. Can I talk to him?”

“Sure, sweetheart, he’s trying to yank the damn phone from my hand anyway. Stop by the house when you get back.”

“Ok, Gemma, I’ll try,” she answered. She laughed as she heard some muffled curses between Gemma and Bobby as the phone switched hands. 

“Is everything okay down there?” Bobby asked, sounding like a concerned father.

“Everything is fine. The party went well last night. I spent a good part of the evening talking to a couple of the senior partners in the firm that’s interested in having me join them.” Saying that she had talked to them for that long was a stretch of the truth, but she needed to keep up her façade for now.

“That’s great. I’m glad to hear it. Now, you need to get back so you can study and get that exam out of the way.”

Abby rolled her eyes, sighing as she laid back on her pillows. “That’s my intention.”

“Good,” he responded happily. “Drive safe. I’ll be at Clay and Gem’s for Sunday dinner. Stop over when you get back.”

Abby said goodbye and shut her phone. She didn’t want to rush back. Thankfully, Sunday dinner usually went pretty late so if she showed up after nine nobody would bat an eye. 

Glancing over at Juice, who was breathing peacefully she couldn’t help but feel her stomach lurch. As she was driving to pick him up to leave, she was hoping that the trip would be somewhat of a bust. She had grown up being told that she was to become a lawyer and follow in her dad’s footsteps. She didn’t want to mess up her destiny, but somewhere along the way she began to question that path. Before she met Juice in the copy store, she had convinced herself that it was just nerves taking over. She had always been worried she wouldn’t live up to her dad’s ability as a lawyer. She was a perfectionist and didn’t want to fail at anything. Then he walked in and she realized that wasn’t necessarily the case. If the trip turned out to be a bust, she could continue with the lawyer thing and keep Bobby happy which was something she strived to do. However, it wasn’t necessarily what was going to make her happy anymore. Staring at Juice, she realized this young Son could potentially be what could make her happy.  
**  
Abby stood staring at herself in the mirror. She had brought more than enough clothes, but this morning she found picking an outfit to be quite taxing. Despite her closet full of clothes, she always turned to the same ensemble; jeans and a hoodie. Now, she felt like she had to look her best for the guy that made her heart skip.

Abby sighed. Her outfits probably made no difference to Juice so she couldn’t quite understand why she was fretting over such a trivial thing. She knew that there were always throngs of women throwing themselves at the guys so in the back of her head Abby felt some competition to look good.

Abby smoothed her hands over her lavender dress, took a deep breath and stepped out into the bedroom. The television was on Sports Center which made her smile. Juice wasn’t exaggerating when he said he was a sports nut. He had been enjoying the ability to watch Sports Center in piece all weekend. She looked over to the bed expecting to see his feet stretched out, but instead she saw him standing on the balcony, cigarette in hand and phone to his ear.

She gathered up her luggage since check out time was in about an hour and tried to ignore the fact that his life in Charming was on the other end of his phone. Pushing aside the negative thoughts spinning in her head, she put her full focus into getting the rest of her things in the bathroom. 

As she grabbed the free samples in the bathroom, she heard him come to the door. She turned around, holding up the bottles, “You want some of these?”

He laughed and looked down at his feet. “Nah, I’m good.”

She tried to ignore him shifting in place like he was nervous about something, but suddenly she felt on edge. “What’s up?” she asked, smiling brightly.

Wringing his hands, he looked up at her. “So, I never did tell you what story I gave the guys to get me here.”

Abby looked around the room, intentionally not looking his direction. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see his face as he began with his story. “No, you didn’t.”

“I spent some time in Southern Cal before heading north. There was this guy I used to run around with that is a computer genius. Our computer hasn’t been working up to par because some of our programs are outdated. I told the guys that I wanted to come down here to see about updating our system,” Juice paused. “I need to stop there before we leave. Clay was just calling for an update on the new programs I came to secure.”

Turning her eyes to him, she breathed a sigh of relief. “That wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected. I mean, I know the programs you’re talking about are for hacking purposes, but it’s better than guns, drugs or whores.”

“We don’t deal with drugs,” Juice mumbled.

“Yet,” she quietly said, as she turned away to grab the last few things in the bathroom. When she turned back around, he had disappeared out of the bathroom.

Abby leaned against the sink, feeling like an idiot. She didn’t understand why she even said that. She knew what sorts of things the club dealt with. Drugs were the one thing that worried her. The club did what they could to keep drugs out of the town, but there was always this fear that at some point that would change. 

She stepped out of hiding and began to open her mouth to apologize, but Juice spoke up.

“So, there is a bunch of shopping near where I need to go. I thought you could get your shopping fix in while I did business.”

She couldn’t help but laugh as his pearly whites beamed from ear to ear. “Wow, you know me so well.” He pointed to the balcony, holding up his cigarettes. She watched him walk out to enjoy one final look at the view. She was relieved to see that her comment was easily brushed off. She needed to make sure she kept her comments in check from now on. The next time might not be easily ignored.  
**

The pair didn’t talk much on the ride back. Abby had a million thoughts running through her head. She was also worried that if they talked too much it would make the ride home go by even faster. As it was, the weekend went by in a hurry and who knew when it might happen again. It was easy for her to leave Charming for a few days. She had a very flexible schedule at the copy store and studying could come with her. Juice on the other hand, couldn’t constantly come up with excuses that made sense if they wanted to sneak away. If this continued to progress, some decisions would have to be made. One of them being, how to tell everyone close to them.

A couple miles from the Charming sign, Abby felt this dread come over her. They were going back to their lives in Charming which were complete opposites of each other. She really didn’t know where they went from this point. For a second, she had the thought to just whip the car around and head back to San Diego. Would it really be a big deal if they both went AWOL? The knots in her stomach told her it would be a problem for both of them.

Pulling up to where she had met him, she turned the lights off on the car and put it in park. She could hear him shifting in the passenger seat. She knew one of them had to say something, but she really had no idea what to say. 

“Are you heading over to Gemma’s?”

She let her breath go, thankful he broke the silence. She turned to look at him. “Yeah, it’s close to nine, but everyone will still be there.” She watched as he nodded and looked down at his hands. “What are you going to do?”

“Ah, I’ll head back to the clubhouse and mess around with the computer. I’m not ready to go back to my place yet.”

“So…” she trailed off. She was someone that could always find something to say, but she had nothing. 

She glanced down as she felt his hand come across to take hers. The knots in her stomach were replaced by a feeling of giddiness. She didn’t want to leave him. She liked the way this felt and didn’t want the pressures from the club to take those feelings away.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he spoke quietly.

She nodded, feeling like she might start crying. The overwhelming feelings were a surprise to her. Instead of crying, she started laughing to where she couldn’t catch her breath. 

“Um, Abby,” he muttered.

Abby waved her hand, taking a deep breath then turned to face him completely. She took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from. I was just sitting here thinking about how great all of this was and I felt myself about to get emotional. Then, it just dawned on me that never in a million years did I think I would be feeling like this toward a member of the Sons,” she stopped. “Wait until I tell Tara.”

“Is it a bad thing that you feel this way about a Son?”

She reached out and took his other hand and stared at him. “No, it’s not. You are so different which is why I was drawn to you. It’s easy for me to forget your connection to Charming.” 

She felt his finger trace down the side of her cheek which sent chills throughout her body. There were times when it was really hard to keep from rushing the physical part of things, but she knew that would change things drastically. 

“Well, I’m going to go so you can head over to dinner.”

Abby watched as he got out of the car, grabbing his bag from the backseat. She waved slightly as she continued to keep her eyes on him as he crossed the street and headed down the road to get his bike. 

She fell back into the seat, running a hand through her hair. She had about ten minutes to pull herself together so she could face her family and friends. She couldn’t let on that she was crazy for one of them.  
**

Abby pushed the front door open and shook her head as she listened to the loud voices coming from down the hall. Clearly, everyone was rowdy from the drinking that ensued during dinner. 

Opie was standing in the kitchen as she came around the corner. “Hey,” she greeted him.

Swallowing his beer, he passed one over to her. “What’s with the dress?”

She glanced down at her outfit. “What?”

Opie waved his hand up and down. “You’re wearing a dress, why?”

“Because I felt like it,” she slowly answered.

“You never wear a dress,” he continued. “You’re always in a hoodie and jeans.”

He wasn’t letting up and it was annoying her. “I was in San Diego. A hoodie and jeans doesn’t quite cut it down there.” She was relieved as he took a swig from his beer and nodded, clearly satisfied with her answer. 

She stepped toward the dining room where everyone was milling about. Bobby got up from the table and hugged her, asking how her trip was. As she began to answer, Jax yelled from across the table. “Why are you wearing a fucking dress?” He started laughing as he downed a huge gulp from his bottle.

“What is with you two and my damn dress? Can’t I wear a dress?” she snapped as she became more irked by the gruesome twosome.

“You look great baby,” Gemma complimented as she walked over and wrapped her arms around Abby. She smacked Opie’s arm. “I helped Abby pick this dress out the other week so you two leave her alone.”

Opie grabbed a handful of cookies, shrugged his shoulders and plopped down at the table. Abby rolled her eyes and smiled as Gemma led her into the kitchen. 

“There are a ton of leftovers in the fridge so fill up a plate and come join everyone,” Gemma directed, as she kissed her cheek and left the kitchen.

She hadn’t eaten a lot that day because her emotions had been overtaking her so she knew she needed to eat a little something plus she didn’t want Gemma getting on her case about not having anything.

After getting some food, she parked herself at the table among the guys. Chibs, sitting at her side, leaned over. “I think you look mighty nice, lass.”

Blushing, she nudged him. “Thanks Chibs.” She smiled then looked over at Jax and Opie. Raising her voice so they could hear, she chimed, “At least someone can appreciate my outfit.”

Thankfully, the duo didn’t say anything. They excused themselves to grab a cigarette. As they were crossing the room to the back door, Jax’s phone rang. He grabbed it and looked down. “It’s Juice,” he called. “Hey man…”

Abby watched as Jax and Opie disappeared into the back yard. Swallowing hard, she shut her eyes for a second to pull herself together. Just hearing his name caused her heart to jump and throw her off a bit. She knew that she was falling for him faster than she ever imagined and despite the nervousness she felt over it, she liked the whole situation.


	13. Chapter 13

July

Abby circled the glass watching as the dark colors swirled like a small tornado. Bringing the liquid to her lips, she sipped it slightly then scrunched her face up. Looking up at the older woman in front of her, she shook her head. “This would be great for the colder months, but I’m looking for something lighter.” She surveyed the list in front of her. “Dolce Blanc, I’d like to try that.” She stretched her legs out in front of her and let her head fall back. It was such a gorgeous day to be outside.

Her phone startled her. She glanced down at it on her lap and smiled. It was the man that consumed her head and she was glad he was calling. They had been back from San Diego for close to three weeks and because the club had him ‘busy’, they had only seen each other twice for barely an hour each time. She talked to him several times a day on the phone and those conversations were enough to keep her hooked.

“Hey there,” she greeted, reaching for the glass that had been placed in front of her.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

She took a swig, smiling and indicating this was what she was looking for. “I am wine tasting in Lodi.”

“Fancy,” he responded with a laugh. “I just got back to Charming, but have some free time. I can come that way if you would like.”

“That would be great,” she answered, trying to keep her excitement under wraps. She didn’t want to seem too eager. 

“Cool. Where do you want to meet?”

Abby thought for a second. She spent a good bit of time in Lodi, mainly because of the wineries, but it had a lot of other stuff to make her feel like she was still among the hustle and bustle in Southern California. “Lodi Beer Company, it’s on South School Street.”

“I’ll be there in about thirty.”

She said goodbye and stared at her phone. A smile spread across her face as she could feel the butterflies in her stomach turning. She had started to wonder if they could pull off what they had started in San Diego, but this gave her a glimmer that they most certainly could. Paying for her bottle of wine, she practically skipped to her car in anticipation of seeing Juice Ortiz.  
**

Abby thanked the waitress as she left the beer on the table and disappeared. She stared at the text message from Opie. He had called her a couple times and was now texting telling her to call him. She knew it couldn’t be too incredibly important because if it was he wouldn’t have stopped calling. As she glanced up, she felt her heart skip as Juice approached the table. She shoved the phone back into her bag and straightened up, letting a big grin appear to meet his. 

He slid into the seat and touched her hand. “Hey.” He pointed to the beer in front of her. “Beer and wine today.”

Abby chuckled. “It’s been a good day.”

Juice raised his eyebrow. “What are you drinking?”

She handed the beer over to him. “It’s their own Summer Wheat.”

He took a long sip and smiled. “That’s pretty good. I’m going to order that.”

He motioned for the waitress and ordered a drink. Abby couldn’t help but notice the once over that the young girl give him. At first Abby wasn’t sure if it was one of disgust, but the flicker in her eye and small smile as she brushed past him said to Abby that she found him attractive. Abby felt a twinge of jealousy as she followed the waitress with her eyes until she was out of sight.

“So, this worked out great. I live in Lodi and needed to swing by my place.” He smiled brightly at her and pointed at her bags. “What fancy wine did you get?” 

Abby found herself forgetting about the waitress and completely focused on the big, brown eyes completely fixed on her. She began a full description of the wine that she had picked up on her earlier excursion as he listened to her intently.

**  
The food came and the two never missed a beat. This was how every interaction seemed to be with them. It seemed so easy and natural which made Abby forget that his was a part of SAMCRO. 

“So, are you coming to the fourth of July picnic at Gemma’s?” Abby asked.

Juice nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.” 

She chuckled. “I feel funny calling it a fourth of July picnic since it’s after the fourth, but for as long as I can remember the picnic has always been the night of the fireworks since their house a prime viewing spot.” 

Abby trailed off, watching as he quickly looked down at his hands, fumbling with the zipper on his hoodie. One of the things she learned while being in law school was how to read people. It was something that any good lawyer worked towards because it helped when dealing with clients and in trials. She could see that Juice was nervous about something.

“Did I say something wrong?” she asked.

“Nah, it’s just that…” he trailed off, slowly bringing his eyes to hers. “When I get back to Charming we’re leaving to go on a run then stopping at Indian Hills for a visit.”

She didn’t know what to say. Growing up, the guys going on runs was the norm so Abby would stay at Gemma’s. Over the years, she paid attention to conversations she would hear and the behavior of Gemma when the guys would go away. She heard about ambushes, people getting injured and sometimes killed. Once she became aware that these weren’t just joyrides, Abby would become anxious that she would lose the remainder of her biological family. 

In her teenage years, she stumbled upon a conversation between Gemma and her best friend, Luann. This one involved another negative of being an ‘old lady’; the cheating. Gemma was telling Luann about one of the guys hooking up and getting one of the ‘tarts’ pregnant while on a run. The guy’s wife found out and went ballistic. She remembered Gemma saying she would cut Clay’s balls off if that ever happened. That conversation was just another reason to get the hell out of Charming and far away from falling into that trap. Now, she was faced with those memories resurfacing as she stared back at Juice.

“We’ll only be gone three days,” he added nervously.

Abby just nodded her head, not knowing how to form a proper sentence. She knew this would happen, but she had hoped she wouldn’t be faced with this so soon. She wasn’t ready to deal with her fears of dating a club member. 

She felt his hand grasp hers as she brought her eyes up to meet his. They were so gentle and tender, that her anxiety felt comforted. “I understand. I know this is part of the deal.”

“You have nothing to worry about. We’re making a quick delivery then right to Indian Hills to discuss some business. We’ll be back before you know it.”

She found herself just nodding her head some more, words not escaping her mouth. It was easy for him to say there was nothing to worry about because he was on the other end of this. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and squeezed his hand. “It’s part of being a member, I get it just please be careful.” 

“Always,” he responded with a warm grin, tracing his finger across her forearm.

Saying ‘be careful’ was the only thing she could come up with. The risk of being attacked by some rival gang ran neck in neck with the cheating factor, but bringing that up so soon in their developing relationship seemed too possessive. They hadn’t made a commitment to each other; not that that would stop any cheating, so she decided to just stay cool. That was easier said than done.  
**

Bobby’s motorcycle was in the driveway as Abby pulled up to the house. Actually, there were a few motorcycles in the driveway which meant they were getting ready to pull out soon for their run.

She made her way to the kitchen where the loud voices were congregated. She was greeted by Tig, Chibs and a stern looking Opie.  
“Is there something wrong with your phone?” he grumbled.

“Shit,” she mumbled. She had been so preoccupied trying to calm her fears about the impending three day trip for the club that she had forgotten about her best friend’s frequent calls and text. 

Abby held up the two brown bags in her hands. “I was wine tasting.”

“Drunk,” he said with a slight chuckle. 

She elbowed him in the ribs. “What’s up?”

“We’re going on a run for a few days,” he said with a sigh. “Can you check in on Donna while I’m gone? She wasn’t overly happy about me leaving.”

Abby stopped herself from saying she understood and simply nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll go over there and hang for a night. I think I promised Ellie I’d play fashion designer with her Barbie’s the next time I came over.”

Opie snorted. “Yeah, she hasn’t forgotten that promise.” 

She felt Bobby slide an arm around her shoulders. “If you need anything, give Gemma a call. I’ll check in with you as soon as I can.” 

Abby nodded and embraced him tightly. She could feel her nervous energy bubbling up inside of her. This was something that would happen every time she would say goodbye to her uncle when they would leave like this, but this time the feelings were exponentially greater. It wasn’t just her uncle she was worried about.

She watched out the kitchen window as the guys zipped out of the driveway and disappeared in a cloud of exhaust smoke. She exhaled hoping that it would calm the negative mindset she was experiencing, but it proved little help. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bags from her Lodi excursion. Grabbing a bottle of wine and a glass out of the cabinet, she disappeared into the backyard to provide some temporary relief.  
**  
Abby opened the front door and noticed things were silent inside the Winston household. She also couldn’t help but notice there was no looming tension in the air. Normally when she stopped over, there was either loud arguing going on or just this presence that there were some very unhappy people inside. 

She made her way to the kitchen to look for Donna. She had been told just to come over whenever worked, they would be expecting her. Abby had been surprised at how pleasant Donna had been on the phone. 

Her head was still pounding from the bottle of wine she had finished off before passing out the previous night. She had just wanted to go to bed and not think about all the things that could happen on the run. Staring down at the two bottles she had brought with her, she knew this was going to be how she spent the next couple days in order to numb the thoughts in her head.

Abby found Donna and the kids in the backyard kicking around a soccer ball. As soon as she stepped out onto the lawn, she was ambushed by the two young kids screaming “Aunt Abby”. 

She smiled and held up a box. “I brought pizza.”

“Yay,” Ellie and Kenny yelled.

Abby turned to Donna and held up the bag. “I brought wine.”

“Yay,” Donna answered with a laugh.

Abby turned to follow the kids back inside with Donna trailing along behind them. Abby was trying hard to concentrate on what the kids were saying to her, but they were talking at the same time so she couldn’t keep up. Despite the craziness, she loved the duo like they were truly her family and couldn’t imagine not being a part of their lives. 

As they dug into the pizza, the kids focused more on eating than talking. Ellie did tell her about the story she was acting out with her Barbie’s which made Abby laugh. She came up with some very elaborate tales for a seven year old. Kenny started talking about his soccer team and how he needed to get ready for football coming up. He made Abby promise to see one of his games before she left Charming. 

Abby helped Donna clean up as the kids ran off to watch a movie, leaving the two adults alone. Abby couldn’t help but notice that Donna hadn’t said much during dinner. She was trying to figure out if it was because the kids were dominating the conversation or if Donna’s head was on the ‘trip’. 

She slid back into the seat she had occupied between the two kids as Donna handed her a healthy portion of wine. “Thanks,” she responded as Donna plopped down across from her.

“I really appreciate you coming over. The kids have been talking about it all day. They’re really happy to have you back in Charming for a while.”

Abby smiled, taking a long sip of wine. “I’m glad to have the time with them. Being around them makes me almost think I might want a few of my own someday.”

Having kids was something Abby would think about when she was younger, but as she got older and focused in on the path she was to be on, it became a fleeting thought. Now, she found herself wondering if it was something she could do and if she would be good at it.   
**

The night was flying by at the Winston household. Abby had helped the kids make a fort in the room after their movie was over. Then Donna turned on another movie for the kids to watch, made some popcorn and poured more wine for the adults. Before too long, it was eleven o’clock, the kids were sound asleep and the adults were slightly buzzed.

Abby and Donna had retreated back into the kitchen, laughing at Jax and Opie stories from their childhood. Abby had a plethora of them and was amusing Donna. It was nice to see her smiling and laughing instead of looking miserable.

The laughter died down and Donna looked at Abby seriously. “So, you and Opie…” she trailed off with a small giggle.

“What?” Abby asked.

“You know everyone in high school thought the two of you were a couple.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Yeah, if there had been a gossip section in the school newspaper, we would have been in it every week. Are they or aren’t they dating?” She threw back the rest of the wine in her glass and promptly poured another. She watched as Donna brought her eyes up to meet hers.

“Did you two ever date?” Donna stopped. “I mean, Opie told me no, but sometimes I wonder if he just said that so I would be cool with the two of you.” She put her hand up. “I don’t care if you did, I’m just wondering.”

Abby couldn’t help but laugh loudly. “We never dated. Opie was too busy playing the over protective brother and I was too busy trying to map out my life plan,” Abby stopped and reached out to touch Donna’s hand. “Opie loves you more than anything.”

Donna laughed and waved her hand. “I’m sorry for even bringing it up. I just get overly paranoid when Opie goes away with the club.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Abby paused trying to decide what to say next. In her wine haze, she could feel herself wanting to blurt out that she understood exactly the kind of paranoia Donna was feeling because of Juice, but she knew that would be a bad idea. “I get slightly paranoid worrying about Bobby.” Taking another drink, she figured that was the best way to go about this conversation.

“Yeah, I know we worry about the danger aspect of things, but I worry about the trampy ladies itching to jump in bed with my guy.”

“Opie wouldn’t do that to you. Out of all of them, he’s the one I would be least worried about.”

Donna starting shaking her head wildly in agreement then started to giggle again. “If your uncle wouldn’t flip out, would you ever date one of the guys?” 

Abby could feel her mind begin to race wildly. She was desperately trying to search through the cloudiness in her head to decipher if she had said something that gave away that she was doing that very thing. 

Once she decided that hadn’t happened, she gulped down another bit of her wine and laughed. “Could you imagine? Me, dating a Son?”

“What about Jax?” Donna snickered. 

“Oh my gosh, that would last all of thirty seconds before one of us tried to kill the other.” 

“I know, I know and it would probably be you that killed him.”

Abby couldn’t help but snort at the thought as Donna’s snicker broke into more loud giggles. As the giggles died down she turned to Abby and got serious. “There’s always Tig.”

Now, Abby found herself howling with laughter. “Sure, if I wanted to contract every STD out there.”

The howling got even louder as Donna joined Abby, desperately trying to catch her breath to say something else. Donna grabbed the wine bottle and filled up the two glasses.

“There’s that new guy, Juice,” Donna continued. “He’s pretty cute and he seems like a really nice guy. He seems like an odd fit in my opinion.”

Abby could feel her heart lurch at the sound of his name. She tried to soothe her feelings with another swig of wine and a pep talk in her foggy brain. “That nickname sounds like one given to a greasy Italian. I couldn’t even imagine calling out his name in the thros of passion.” She could feel her heart beating rapidly because all she did was imagine what it would be like to do that very thing.

“I know,” Donna responded, leaning forward. “The Scot, Chibs. I have always felt he has a soft spot for you.”

Abby smiled, bringing the wine up to her lips. “Nah, Chibs is just a friend.” Abby always like Chibs. He was tough as nails and extremely loyal to the club, but underneath that, he had a soft side to him that Abby saw quite a bit. He was always watching her back when she was around which was always comforting.

The wine bottles were empty and Abby’s head was spinning. There was no way she was driving home. She knew she could stay there, but Abby wanted to crawl into her own bed and pass out. She looked at her phone. There were no missed calls or messages which made her stomach ball into knots. She hadn’t heard a word from Juice since he had left the day before. She didn’t expect to hear from him because he was surrounded by the guys and it would be hard to hide from them to get in touch with her. Still, she had hoped he would find a way to break away for a bit. 

Pushing her chair back, she gripped the table to stand. “I’m going to walk home. I’ll get my car in the morning.”

Donna wobbled a bit as she stood. Abby was pretty sure she had never seen Donna drunk. She wondered if Donna had ever been drunk. 

When they got to the door, Abby was shocked when Donna embraced her. She didn’t say anything to Abby, but just smiled warmly. As Abby made her way through the lawn to the road, she resisted the urge to dial his number. She couldn’t calm the nervousness in the pit of her stomach. Her mind was running wild at all the scenarios as to what could be happening at that very moment in Indian Hills. It was somewhat comforting to hear Donna talking about the same things Abby was feeling, but disheartening at the same time since she couldn’t share her fears too.


	14. Chapter 14

The guys had gotten back earlier that morning and immediately every one disbanded to get ready for the Fourth of July picnic that evening. Juice had hoped that Bobby might get caught up with something so that he could sneak over to see Abby, but no such luck. 

He unlocked the door to his tiny apartment, grabbed a beer from the fridge and fell onto the couch. It was nice to have some quiet before the evening got underway, but he found himself really missing those green eyes and bright smile. He shut his eyes and exhaled, bringing the beer up to meet his lips.

The three days the guys were gone seemed like the longest three days he had experienced since being a part of the club. He loved going on these runs. Sure there were occasional hiccups that turned into a scene from an action movie, but for the most part they went very smoothly. Juice loved the camaraderie between the guys when they would go on these adventures. Not to mention, they usually found their way to a fellow charter where there would be a huge party with booze and half naked women willing to do anything asked of them. It was a guy’s dream.

Indian Hills didn’t let them down by way of a party. There were enough girls for each of the guys to take two for the evening which is what some of them proceeded to do. Juice was pretty sure Tig took three back to one of the dorm rooms. He had managed to slink into the corner with a couple beers, his pack of smokes and cell phone that he stared at many times trying to come up with a way to sneak away somewhere private to call Abby. Unfortunately, hiding in the shadows didn’t last long before Chibs and Bobby pulled him out to watch a strip show/lesbian action playing out at the opposite end of the room. This would normally be enough to arouse him which would prompt him to grab the nearest croweater and disappear to a room or corner, but he found himself faking that he was loving the show. Once it was over, Chibs and Bobby rushed the girls that had been performing to create a show of their own which allowed Juice to make his way back to the corner. 

By the time the clock hit two most of the guys had found their prey for the evening and were retreating to have their fun. The ones that weren’t, were passed out. He was relieved because he could finally go outside to call Abby. He knew he would probably wake her, but he wanted her to know he was thinking of her and everything was fine.

Just as he had lit a cigarette and flipped his phone open, he heard twigs crackling behind him. He whipped around to see the hulking figure that was Opie. It seemed the two of them had been doing the same thing all evening, hiding in the shadows. The only difference was Opie occasionally had to reign Jax in so he didn’t completely embarrass himself. Because of the tumulus relationship between Jax and Wendy, the vice president’s behavior was becoming more and more erratic making Opie step into the role of babysitter.

Jax had settled himself down with a lanky blond and had disappeared into a room so Opie came out to call his wife. The two chatted as they smoked a few cigarettes. Juice asked how Donna was. Opie chuckled as he told his fellow brother that Abby had managed to get Donna drunk and apparently the two had a lot of fun. Juice could hear the relief in Opie’s voice as he told him about the pairs evening. Then Opie stopped suddenly and looked at Juice. “Sorry man, does it bother you that I’m talking about Abby. I know she told you she wasn’t interested in dating a Son.” He placed his big hand on Juice’s shoulder. “I know how much you like her.”

For a moment, Juice had almost let it slip that she had a change of heart and they were in fact working on a relationship, but he knew by telling Opie it would become a question of Opie’s loyalty to tell his other best friend; Jax. He simply told Opie that it was no big deal and he needed to be okay with hearing about her since she was in Charming right now. By the time the two of them got done smoking and shooting the shit, it was after three. Juice knew he couldn’t call Abby now. As much as he wanted to, after talking to Opie he was pretty sure she was passed out in dream world.

Thankfully, he had managed to slip away before everyone was up and ready to call her in the morning. Hearing her groggy voice was music to his ears. It warmed his heart to hear her tell him that she was happy to hear him on the other end. It made him want to get back to Charming even faster.

As he opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, he sighed. He couldn’t wait to see her at the picnic, but it was going to prove to be a challenge since he couldn’t really be ‘with’ her there.  
**

The picnic was in full force. The food and booze were flowing, and the girls were swarming around the guys. Juice was standing with Chibs, Opie and Jax with beers and cigarettes in hand. Juice had strategically placed himself there because it was near Abby.   
She had spent the first couple hours of the picnic helping Gemma and hanging with her uncle, but now she was just a few feet away with Donna and the kids. Every time she laughed, he found himself casting a sideways glance in her direction.

He was only half listening to what the guys were saying because he was fixed on trying to hear Abby. He felt an elbow in his side and darted his eyes up to Jax pointing down at his empty bottle. 

“You know the rules, no empty beer at these picnics,” Jax commented with a laugh.

“Right, man, do you want one?” Juice asked, watching as Jax held up his almost full bottle. As he stalked away, he grumbled at the fact he had to leave the group even if it was just momentarily. He didn’t want to miss anything from Abby.

He grabbed a beer and practically sprinted back to where the guys were. He heard Abby yell to Kenny that she would throw the football with him since that would be starting up in about a month. She motioned for Ellie to join them too.

Chibs chuckled. “Why don’t ya throw that football my way?”

Juice’s head snapped around as he heard the request being directed at Abby. He darted his eyes quickly as he heard Abby yell back.

“Get over here hot shot and let’s see if you can keep up with the three of us.”

Chibs handed Juice his beer. “I gotta go show those three that this Scot knows a thing or two about football."

Juice looked down at his hand holding the half empty beer and peered up slightly. Chibs had sprinted over and intercepted the ball as Abby threw it to Kenny. She was running as fast as she could to get to Chibs as he ran away from her, taunting Abby with the ball. Kenny and Ellie were cheering her on as Abby caught up to him and grabbed his arm. Chibs turned and picked her up, continuing to run with the ball in his other hand. When he got to where they had marked a goal, he spiked the ball and put her down, laughing and doing a strut. Abby was laughing and trash talking him at the same time. Juice could feel his heart beating a mile a minute wondering what the heck this was all about.  
Jax spoke up beside him. “I’m surprised she didn’t tackle him.”

“What like the time we talked her into playing football with us and she damn near broke your nose tackling you?” Opie grunted.

“I was ten Ope,” Jax grumbled.

He was listening to them joke back and forth about their adventures as kids while he kept both eyes fixed on Abby and Chibs. He had intercepted the ball again, but this time the girls caught him, tackling him to the ground. The three of them were laughing hysterically which made Juice’s heart feel like it was going to beat out of his chest. 

“Hopefully, she doesn’t teach them how to fight dirty,” Jax chimed.

“What like teaching Ellie how to kick someone in the balls to score a touchdown?” Opie responded.

“I was TEN Ope,” Jax raised his voice while Opie laughed hysterically beside him.

Juice heard Opie say something to him. “Obviously, he’s still a little sore about it; no pun intended.”

Juice laughed slightly with Opie trying to make it seem like he wasn’t so engrossed in the interaction between Abby and Chibs. If either of them caught on that he was so distracted by her, they would be outed for sure before they came up with some sort of plan on how to handle everyone’s reaction to their growing relationship.

Abby had stood up and straightening her hippie style shirt that had ridden up exposing some of her flesh. Juice watched as Chibs kept her steady as she slipped her sandals back on and brushed some grass out of his hair. She hooked her arm in his and walked toward the group of three.

“I think I just schooled ya in football lass,” Chibs said, pulling his kutte on then playfully nudging her.

“Yeah, yeah, I spared you all of the tricks I keep up my sleeve since there were children present.”

Opie let out a boisterous laugh. “We were just talking about the time that we played in this same backyard. You know the time where you almost broke Jax’s nose and you tried to keep him from reproducing.”

Chibs let out a snort. “Ya tried to take out his sac?”

“When you play football with these two brutes, a girl will resort to anything.” 

“For fuck’s sake I was fucking ten,” Jax shouted, then he burst out laughing.

Juice looked around the group at everyone laughing. He smiled, held up his beer and walked to the cooler. His beer was still half full, but he had to step away, smoke a cigarette and get his head back on right. Hiding his feelings was becoming a lot harder than he had anticipated.  
**

Abby had lost track of Juice since he went to get a beer. She stood with the guys for bit then joined Donna and Ellie to watch the fireworks. She couldn’t help but wonder where he had ventured off to. It made it hard to concentrate on the bright lights flashing in the dark sky above, but she tried to give her best ‘oohs and aahs’ with Ellie.

When the fireworks were done, some people started to disperse and Abby could feel exhaustion begin to creep up. She folded up the lawn chair and began toward the house. As she made her way, she scanned the premises looking for her secret friend. He was nowhere to be found. Sighing, she walked into the kitchen.

“Hey baby,” Gemma said quietly.

“Do you need any help cleaning up?

“No, I’ll put the other girls to work later.” She pushed Abby’s hair out of her face like a mother would and smiled. “You look tired.”

“I am. I studied most of the day and have to work tomorrow.” 

“Why don’t you head home and get some sleep? You’re gonna kill yourself if you keep burning the candle at both ends.”

“I’m not sure where Bobby is. I want to make sure he gets home alright.” She felt Gemma’s arm wrap around her waist as she was turned in the direction of the living room. There lying face down on the couch was her uncle. Abby just shook her head. She really wasn’t surprised. Her uncle liked to go all out at these events. He said it was his way of letting off steam, but she knew it was just a part of being a member of the club. 

She turned to Gemma. “Opie left so can Clay help me get him to the car?”

“Oh sweetheart, I’m not going to have you trying to get him in the house by yourself. He can just stay here for the night. I’ll feed him in the morning and send his hung over ass home.”

Abby smiled. “Okay.” She leaned forward as Gemma put her arms out for a hug then headed to her car. 

The drive home took all of five minutes. She flipped on the light in the hallway and made her way upstairs. It was chilly out for July so she climbed into a pair of leggings and a hoodie. She slid into her bed, yawning as she shut her eyes. 

As she felt herself relax fully and begin to drift off to sleep, she thought she heard a motorcycle pull up. She opened one eye wondering if her uncle had come to and been stupid enough to drive home. She couldn’t imagine that Gemma would let him do that, but stranger things had happened. 

She jumped as she heard a knock at the door then the doorbell. Flipping the light on beside her bed, she stood up. She made her way down the dark stairs. She took a deep breath trying to calm her racing heart. “Who’s there?”

“It’s me.”

Abby looked through the peephole, and muttered ‘Oh’ as she opened the door. Juice whisked past her and down the hall. She glanced outside to make sure nobody saw him come into the house, then bolted the door before heading off to find him.

He was standing in the living room pacing the width of the room. Abby leaned against the doorway, wrapping her arms around her waist. “What’s up?” She was happy to see him, but a little nervous at his behavior.

“I heard Bobby was passed out on the couch so I figured it was okay to come over.”

“As in true Bobby fashion, he enjoyed the picnic a little too much so he won’t be waking up in his own bed,” Abby confirmed.

She watched as Juice came to a halt in the middle of the room, turned and plopped down on the couch. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, his slender fingers running over the top of his Mohawk. She was starting to feel the nervousness in her stomach fill even more. The voice in her head kept telling her that he was going to admit to doing something he regretted while in Indian Hills. 

With a loud sigh, he brought his eyes up to hers. “The picnic was hell.”

“Huh?" she questioned, quieting the image of him and some skank rolling around in her mind.

“I thought I could be cool acting like there is nothing going on between us, but when I saw you and Chibs,” he stopped, smoothing his hand across the top of his pants. “I felt something inside of me that wanted to let everyone know that you’re with me.”

Abby couldn’t help but blush. Even though she hadn’t voiced her paranoia about the club’s run, she sensed he had to know it was there. Any girl that got involved in a relationship with a Son worried about a half- naked chick sinking her claws into their respective biker boy. It was nice to hear that he held some of the same worries.

She walked over to him, sat down beside him and placed her hand lightly on his knee. He turned his head to look. “I know we haven’t exactly decided where this is going, but tonight made me realize what I want.”

Abby’s heart started to skip. “What do you want?”

“I’d like to try this relationship thing…” he trailed off. “With you.”

She found herself speechless as she watched his brown eyes search her face. His knee started bouncing wildly the longer the silence went until he jumped to stand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have stopped by.” 

As he disappeared into the hallway, Abby snapped out of her daze. “Shit,” she mumbled, dashing off the couch to catch him before he walked out of the house.

His hand had just reached the doorknob as she came out of the living room. “Wait,” Abby called, watching as his hand dropped to his side. Quickly, she made her way until she was inches away from him. He was staring at the black boots on his feet. “This is just surreal to me. Two months ago, I made my way back here to study and spend some time with the people close to me before I left to join the lawyers of the world. Now, I’m staring at you with my heart racing elated from what you just said.” She stepped closer to him and took his hand. “I still don’t know where I want my career path to go, but I’d like to see where a relationship would go with you.”

Juice’s eyes shot up and met hers. “What?”

She laughed softly. “Does this mean I’m you’re old lady?”

He chuckled as a smile spread across his face. “If you want to be called that, but girlfriend is alright with me.”

Abby wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest noticing again how intoxicating the mixture of sweat, cologne and tobacco was on him. She had no idea what this meant for her law degree, but she needed to know how things with him could turn out. Abby needed to know if being a lawyer was her destiny because standing there listening to his breathing match hers, she really didn’t know if it was the road for her.   
**  
Abby groaned as she stretched her legs. Opening one eye, she rolled onto her side and smiled. He was sleeping peacefully next to her. They had thrown some comforters and pillows on the living room floor, turned a movie on and curled up together. It hadn’t taken long for her to drift to sleep with his arm wrapped around her waist.

Pushing herself up to sit, she leaned forward letting her arms stretch out. She heard him move beside her as she smiled when his hand touched the small of her back. 

“What time is it?” he whispered. 

She glanced over her shoulder at the clock hanging over the recliner. “Almost nine.”

Juice, keeping his hand on her back, sat up next to her and groaned. “I would imagine Bobby will be back soon.”

“Probably sometime after ten,” she muttered. The two hadn’t talked about the parameters of their official relationship, but Abby knew they needed to. “I still don’t want to say anything to anyone.” She shifted as Juice didn’t say anything back. “Bobby will freak if I tell him that we’re dating. I’m just not ready to deal with that until I know one hundred percent what I plan to do with my life.” She placed her hand on his thigh. “Is that okay?”

He cleared his throat and put his hand on top of hers. “I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little disappointed. I want to let everyone know that I’m the luckiest guy in Charming, but I know why you want to wait. Bobby’s going to freak no matter when you tell him, but it would probably be a lot easier if you know exactly what your plan is.”

Abby squeezed his hand. “Thank you.” She looked up as he stood up and stretched several times then put his hand out to help her up. She sighed as he embraced her, stroking her hair tenderly. 

“So, guess it’s back to acting like nothing is going on between us,” he spoke after a couple minutes.

“That’s the plan,” she paused. “Temporarily, just temporarily.”

He took her hand and walked with her to the front door, grabbing his kutte from the doorknob and sliding it on. He opened the front door and let the sunlight hit him, scanning the area for any signs of Bobby. 

Abby watched as he stepped off the porch and climbed on his bike. She leaned against the door, watching until his bike was completely out of sight. She knew he was disappointed that they couldn’t go public with their decision to go forward in a relationship, but she had to have all her ducks in a row before anyone could know. She was being cautious so neither one of them would end up a heartbroken mess.


	15. Chapter 15

August

There was a lot more activity going on that afternoon in the clubhouse than normal. The Mayans tried to run Tig and one of the prospects off the road when they were on their way to check on a shipment. Darby had been showing up around town and it was rumored that he was trying to partner with someone to start a war with the Sons. Leroy was pissed because there was an issue with the guns which was going to set back his delivery. Clay was pacing around between the garage’s office and chapel trying to come up with a plan of attack. 

Juice hid behind the computer doing his work. He kept glancing at the clock hoping it would move a little bit faster. He was going to see Abby after she got off work and he couldn’t wait. He just hoped that nothing would keep him from getting over there even for five minutes.

He slid out of his seat and walked over to the kitchen. Pouring another cup of coffee, he smiled to himself knowing that she was probably sucking down coffee too. He thought he had a bad coffee habit until he met Abby Munson. 

The loud pounding of footsteps getting closer to the kitchen door snapped him out of his daze. He peered out from around the doorway to see Bobby’s wild mane of curls flying by in a blur. Juice slid around to the back of the bar, pretending to be looking at the newspaper when he really had his sights on the club secretary.

“Hey.”

Juice jumped as he saw Opie grab a beer from the fridge. Nodding, he smiled, “What’s up.”

“Opie!”

Both guy’s looked up to see Bobby speed walking to the bar. The look on Bobby’s face said he was pissed about something and Juice had a feeling it involved his niece.

“Ope, have you talked to Abby lately?”

“Not since yesterday afternoon,” Opie answered, exhaling his cigarette and adjusting his hat. 

“Has she mentioned that she missed the July sitting for the bar exam?”

Juice fumbled with his cigarette, directing his eyes back to the newspaper laying out in front of him. He was trying desperately to play it cool, but he couldn’t help but think that one of the guys beside him would realize something was up.

“She hasn’t said a word to me about the exam. She can take the next one,” Opie replied calmly.

“The next exam isn’t offered until February. February is too far away.”

Opie started laughing as he put his cigarette out. “Shit Bobby, she just graduated in May, can’t you trust that she’ll take it when she’s ready.”

“No, Ope, I can’t,” Bobby lit a cigarette and poured himself a shot of whiskey. “I made a promise to my brother that she would follow in his footsteps, become a lawyer and get out of this town. I’m not going to see that get off track.”

Juice jumped as the sound of the shot class slammed down on the bar and Bobby went storming off toward the dorm rooms. He could feel the beads of sweat sliding down the back of his shirt, sending a chill up his spine.

“Guess it’s probably best that Abby decided to pass on dating a Son. Bobby would be even more pissed,” Opie commented with a laugh.

Juice didn’t say anything, just nodded as Opie got up from the bar stool, clapped his shoulder and said he was going to find Jax to see if there was a plan yet. As soon as his fellow brother was out of visual, Juice grabbed the whiskey bottle and threw back a shot. He needed something to calm the nerves coursing through his body.  
**

Juice was the first to volunteer to do a sweep through town to see if there were any Darby sightings. Since there was a lot of activity happening, he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to find a way to slip off to see Abby even if he was only gone for a short period of time. Now he had a reason to be leaving and nobody would question if he was gone for a while.

He was still trying to shake off the knots in his stomach as he rode down the main street of town. Bobby questioned Chibs and Jax about Abby missing the July sitting for the bar. Neither guy knew a thing about it. Jax got him riled up when he started joking that maybe Gemma had brainwashed her into staying in Charming. Bobby didn’t want to hear any type of statement of that option even if it was a joke. Gemma had walked in at the tail end of the conversation and chirped that Bobby needed to back off of his niece. There were some obscenities thrown out between the two of them ending with Bobby storming off to head to Oakland with Clay for some damage control with Leroy. Juice was thankful that everyone disappeared to go about their respective duties for the afternoon. He couldn’t take any more of the arguing about Abby’s bar exam controversy. She was the only person he wanted to discuss that with.

Juice hurried down the sidewalk toward the copy shop while keeping a watchful eye out for anyone that might spot him. All they needed was to be outed today when Bobby was already up in arms about Abby rocking the boat.

As he came around the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. Through the front window of the copy shop, he could see Abby talking to someone. She was laughing, eyes sparkling, head back with curls falling over her shoulders. He stepped closer to see Deputy Chief David Hale standing on the other side of the counter, laughing along with her.

Quickly stepping inside the alcove separating the copy shop to the tax office next door, he took a deep breath trying to calm himself. David Hale hated the Sons and wanted nothing more than to take over as Chief in order to crush the club. If he saw her with Juice, he wasn’t sure what Hale would do, but he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be anything positive. He peered around the corner and through the glass again, his mind now throwing around the question as to why they looked so damn chummy. Hale wanted the club disbanded and the guys behind bars while she was the niece of a club member. Juice could feel his heart speeding up as he shot back into the alcove, eyes darting all around him.

When he heard the bell from the front door of her workplace, he turned so his back was facing the sidewalk and put his head down pretending to be looking at his phone. He wasn’t sure which direction Hale was going, but he needed to not be seen.   
Thankfully, he didn’t hear any footsteps but rather heard the sound of Hale’s Jeep starting up from the opposite end of the street. When he was unable to hear it anymore, he stepped back out onto the sidewalk.

Abby was shutting down the office equipment as he made his way across the floor watching her. She was wearing shorts, which was something she rarely did and it showed by the way her skin was still as pale as ever. The red cardigan covered her white tank top which kept the cute freckles he liked to stare at under wraps. 

Clearing his throat, he watched as she turned around with a huge smile on her face. He smiled slightly still overwhelmed with thoughts of a pissed off Bobby and the friendly scene he witnessed between her and Hale. 

She walked around the side of the counter, handing him a cup of coffee. “Freshly brewed,” she announced, as she walked to the front door to lock it. 

He smiled, sipping it casually. He leaned against the counter as she came back over and slid onto the top of it, crossing her legs Indian style. He was trying to act normal, but he was sure she could see on his face that he wasn’t himself.

“So, what’s on your agenda?” she asked, dumping creamer into the cup of coffee sitting beside her.

“I’m on a Darby sighting mission,” he answered.

Abby raised her eyebrow. “Ah, yes, Ernest Darby. That guy is still around?”

Juice wasn’t surprised she knew Darby. He had grown up in Charming and still resided here as an adult when he wasn’t in jail. The head of the Nords, a white supremacy group and local meth dealers, they were constantly butting heads with the Sons. “He got out of prison not too long ago and is trying to get in good with the Mayans. The Mayans want to overthrow us and Darby thinks if he helps with that, they’ll let him deal drugs in Charming without butting in.”

She took a big sip of her coffee then exhaled. “Sounds like good ole Darby hasn’t changed much.” She chuckled. “I went to school with his nephew Jake. Jake was my partner on this project for our junior year Sociology class. He was really nice despite his family ties. He had a crush on me and asked me out on a date once. I turned him down, he wasn’t my type and man that would have really rocked the boat.”

“Sort of like if you dated Hale,” he blurted then stopped realizing what he had just said. 

He hadn’t planned to say anything about his insecurity about seeing the two of them talking, the words just fell out. He watched as she looked at him sort of confused then started laughing.

“I take it you saw he was here?”

He nodded not saying a word. He figured not speaking would be the best thing. He didn’t want to upset her and start a fight because of his self-doubt.

“I grew up with David. Believe it or not, he was friends with Jax and Opie during high school. He didn’t always hang out with us, but a lot of times he did.” She stopped and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m not going to lie, I had a bit of a crush on him in high school, but I never pursued it because I was afraid it would start friction between him and the gruesome twosome. Now, I have no interest in him other than friends because for the most part he’s a completely different person. Anymore, he’s just a cop on a power trip on a mission to become the hero that took down the big bad biker group.”

“So, why was he here talking to the niece of one of the big bad bikers?” he asked curiously.

She snorted. “Wow, jealous much?” She playfully punched him in the arm. “He stops in here to reminisce about high school and to encourage me to continue on my life’s mission to get out of Charming and become a lawyer. I guess he’s afraid I’ll stick around here like my uncle.” 

He watched as her eyes drifted off, staring blankly at a stack of copy paper. “About Bobby,” he began. “I take it something happened. He was really pissed when he showed up at the clubhouse this morning.”

“I’m not surprised,” she muttered, still staring at the tower behind him.

Juice shifted in place then slid onto the counter next to her. He placed his hand on her knee, feeling as she relaxed under his touch. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nothing much to talk about,” Abby began. “He saw a letter I had forgot to pick up that held information for the next bar exam. He didn’t realize that I had missed the one in July because I hadn’t given him specific dates. I had told him they were coming up.”

“I take it he flipped out.”

“That’s an understatement,” she groaned. “I tried to explain to him that even though the firm that has a job for me is in Chicago, I still need to take the California bar exam since one of their biggest clients is in the Oakland/San Francisco area and I’ll be working with them. He doesn’t seem to grasp that instead of one bar exam, I have to take two; Illinois and California. He seems to think that because I was in the top five in my class, I can handle both at the same time. Apparently I’m super human,” she sarcastically added.

He glanced over at her face. The look on her face was one of sadness. It was becoming more and more obvious that she wasn’t happy with the life plan her uncle had for her. The fact that he wasn’t understanding her was clearly making things worse for her.   
“So, what are you going to do?” he asked quietly.

“I’m going to Chicago in February to take the exam. I had to swear up and down that I’d do it plus meet with the firm that wants to hire me while I’m there. After that, I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t take the California one until July since they are offered at the same exact time as Illinois, but I don’t think Bobby cares. He wants me taking the Illinois one so I can move onto bigger and better things away from Charming,” she stopped and placed her hand on top of his, looking over at him. “That doesn’t mean I’ve made the decision to leave just that I’m going through the motions of acting like I am. I’m still trying to sort through what I want and how it factors into this relationship.”

Juice smiled and squeezed her hand. “I know that’s what you’re doing, but I have to prepare myself for the possibility that you’ll decide to go to Chicago permanently.”

“You could always defect to Chicago with me.” she chirped.

He froze at the statement she just made, letting the words sink in. As he tried to decipher his thoughts so that he could say something, his phone rang. He glanced down and groaned. “Chibs,” he mumbled. “Yeah man.” 

He watched as she slid off the counter, cleaning up the cups and gathering up her bag. “No, I haven’t seen any hint of him.”

“Okay, good to hear. Are you heading back now? Clay wants us in church as soon as you get back.”

“I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” He shut his phone and slid off the counter. She was standing at the door, shifting back and forth as she gazed out the glass. He touched her shoulder and watched her hair bounce as she brought her head around to look at him. “I’ll call you.”

She smiled and squeezed his arm as he left the store, looking around to make sure nobody was around that would notice him. He turned back to get another look at her, but she had already closed the blinds.  
**  
Church let out and the guys spread throughout the clubhouse. Clay hadn’t shared anything too terribly important in their meeting. It was basically just to gloss over everything that was going on right now. Juice was thankful it was just a debriefing because his mind was elsewhere. Abby saying he could defect to Chicago with her kept playing over and over in his mind like a broken record.

One of the prospects pushed a beer in Juice’s direction. He mumbled ‘thanks’ as he grabbed for a cigarette, leaning back against the bar stool. He had only envisioned two things happening as time progressed for their relationship. First scenario, Abby stayed in Charming and either became a lawyer or not. Second scenario, Abby left Charming as planned and followed her path. Never once did Juice consider a third scenario, they both leave Charming to have a life together.

He surveyed the room and took in the sights he saw almost every night. Guys drinking, girls swooning, joints being passed around. This was his life. It was the only life he knew. He wasn’t sure he could do anything else, but deep down there was this little voice telling him he could. Abby made him want to try, but in the same time the idea of leaving his ‘family’ made him want to throw up.

He continued to look around the room, watching Bobby smoking a cigarette while talking to Clay in the corner of the room. He couldn’t help but wonder if Bobby was still pissed at his niece. Juice imagined he probably was. It was becoming more and more clear that Bobby was hell bent on making sure Abby took scenario number two. If Bobby were to find out about her and him, things were only going to get more intense not only with Bobby’s relationship with Abby, but the one he had with Juice. How would Bobby react to scenario number three? Would it matter if she was with Juice if he knew she was still leaving just not alone? 

He chugged his beer and moved his eyes around the room. If he stared at Bobby any longer and thought about the ‘what ifs’ he was fairly certain he would upchuck. He stopped as he met the eyes of the unfamiliar girl from a few weeks back. She was watching Juice, clearing checking him out. She had icy blue eyes and stick straight jet black hair that ended around the middle of her back. She was taller than Abby and she made it obvious just how long her legs were by the tiny shorts she had on. The shiny red shirt she had on clung to her body which accentuated her skinny waist and large chest. She smiled and winked in Juice’s direction. He nodded and turned his back. He was in no way interested. A few months ago, he would have taken her back to a dorm room the first time she approached him, but after meeting Abby he realized these girls were of no interest to him. He didn’t want an easy lay.

“Hey man, I need your help.”

Juice looked up from his beer to see a glassy eyed Tig rushing over to him. “Hey man, what’s up?”

Tig pointed over his shoulder at the girl that had been staring at Juice. “You see the leggy chick back there with the breasts that make you want to bury your face in them?”

“Yeah, what about her?”

“I’ve been working on getting her back to my room and I’m really damn close to sinking into her, but she keeps checking you out,” Tig blurted, lighting a cigarette.

“Not interested,” Juice replied firmly.

“That’s a fucking relief,” Tig hooped, clapping Juice on the shoulder. “So, you won’t give a shit if I take my turn at her?”

“Nope, enjoy,” Juice answered with a smile. With that reply, Tig dashed off with the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning. He glanced over his shoulder at the mystery woman wrapping herself around Tig. As they reached the hallway leading back to the dorm rooms, she took one final look at Juice, blowing him a kiss as she disappeared into the darkness. 

Juice had no idea who she was other than a friend of Wendy’s and he really didn’t give a shit. He had what he wanted and planned to keep a hold of her for as long as he could even if that meant the possibility of leaving his life.


	16. Chapter 16

September

Abby dashed back to her room and started digging through her top dresser drawer. At one point in her life, she knew that she owned some lip gloss or something similar. After much digging and removing of items, she found a lone, light pink gloss in the corner. Quickly, she made her way back to the bathroom to apply some of it to her pale lips. 

“Abby.”

Dabbing the gloss on, she sighed and yelled. “Up here Ope.” She grabbed a hair tie and pulled her hair up, leaving a few strands hanging along the sides of her face. She heard heavy footsteps coming up the hardwood steps as she walked back to her room.

She looked herself over in the full length mirror. She had to admit, she looked pretty good. She smoothed her hands over the ruffles on the bottom half of her white tank top. She glanced down the front of her jeans at the black, stiletto heeled boots on her feet. She sure hoped she could walk in these all night. Whipping around to grab her black leather jacket, she slid it on over her arms, straightened the silver necklaces and her black belt then turned to head out of her room.

“Whoa, what’s the occasion?”

She glanced up at her best friend standing in her bedroom doorway. “Going out.”

Opie crossed his arms across his chest. “I can see that. Who are you going out with?”

Abby shrugged her shoulders. “A couple of my friends from law school are in Oakland. They invited me to come hang out.” She swallowed trying to keep her composure so she wouldn’t let on that she was lying through her teeth. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It read 7:15. “I’m late.” She pointed to the red lights lit up and brushed past him down the stairs. She heard him following behind her.

“Have you talked anymore to Bobby?”

She grabbed her black purse from the antique wooden table in the hall and began to make sure she had everything she needed. “There’s really nothing to talk about. I told him what was going on with the bar exam, he’s pissed off and we’re not really speaking.” She grabbed her keys and turned around. “Is there something else I need to talk to him about?”

Opie looked at her and raised his eyebrow. “Do you think maybe you want to talk to him about the fact that you’re not even sure this is what you want to be doing with your life?”

Abby pulled her purse up over her shoulder. “No, I don’t need to talk to him about that because I’m going to take the bar and keep on moving forward like planned.”

“When did you decide this? I know you were still questioning all the life path bullshit when we went on our trip because you talked to Donna about it.”

She could feel her stomach starting to do backflips. She really hated not being honest with Opie, but she just couldn’t tell him about her little experiment with one of his fellow brothers. Quickly, she glanced over Opie’s shoulder to where she could see the clock in the kitchen. “Ope, I really have to go.” She turned and walked out the front door into the cool night air. As she made her way to her car, she could feel his eyes on her. She knew he was trying to figure out why she was being so shifty. Then again, maybe he really wasn’t and she was just overly paranoid. 

She slid into the driver’s seat and looked at his hulking figure walking slowly through the yard to his bike. She put the window down and called, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I’d like to stop over and see the kids.”

Her eyes met his as he turned. He looked concerned which made her feel even worse. She knew Bobby was bitching to him about her decision to push off the bar exam. She wasn’t making things better by brushing him off now. She promised herself that she would talk to him tomorrow. If she didn’t start confiding in him about the issues with Bobby, Opie would start pushing for answers which would definitely result in the truth coming out.

Opie nodded. “Have fun and be careful.”

She smiled, watching as his mouth curled into a half smile as she drove out of the driveway. Slowly, her nerves started to subside as she drove toward her destination.  
**

Abby pulled into the parking lot of a small hardware shop at the edge of the Lodi border. She was running about thirty minutes late thanks to her visitor. Juice hadn’t answered his phone, but she left what probably sounded like an insane, frantic voicemail as she flew out of Charming. Putting the car in park, she was relieved she hadn’t encountered law enforcement because she would have been pulled over for speeding.

Grabbing her purse, she walked quickly around the back of the shop. Juice had told her to meet him here which she thought was a weird place, but hadn’t questioned it. She was just giddy from his phone call asking her on a date. Things were proving to be difficult in seeing each other since their relationship wasn’t out in the open so she had been counting down the hours until this very moment. She didn’t even care that she had no idea what they would be doing. All he had said was to not get too dressed up. Not dressed up to her was her normal hoodie and jeans, but she wanted to look more put together so she had settled on her attire that had taken most of the afternoon to decide on.

When she came around the corner of the building, she could feel the smile spread across her face as she saw Juice leaning against his bike in green cargo pants and tight black t shirt. “I’m so sorry for being late,” she began quickly. “Opie showed up to talk about the situation with Bobby and I couldn’t get him to leave.”

She relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her in a huge hug. She could feel all the muscles in her body lose tension as she took in the smell of his aftershave. His arms fit around her perfectly and Abby felt like she could stand in that very spot forever.

“It’s alright. Your message made me laugh,” he answered with a chuckle. “You sounded completely crazed.”

Abby brought her eyes up to him and laughed. “I can only imagine.” She felt him stand back and point to the second floor of the hardware store. 

“That’s my place.”

She remembered him telling her he lived in Lodi, but was surprised that this is where he wanted to meet. What if somebody came looking for him? Then again, the guys didn’t normally come to Lodi so if he wasn’t worried she would just let that thought disappear. 

She looked back at him and saw that he was holding a helmet out for her. Pointing at it, she asked, “What’s that for?”

“We’re taking my bike.”

“We are?” she asked nervously.

“You have ridden before, right?”

She hesitated before answering. “The day I found out you were a Son, you know when you drove me home.” She stopped and watching him nod. Swallowing hard, she continued. “Well, that was the first time I had ever ridden on a bike.” She watched as she burst out laughing. 

“How is that possible with your relationships?” he asked curiously, his laugh quieting.

Abby shrugged her shoulders. “Bobby didn’t want me riding because it was too dangerous. Opie and Jax didn’t start riding until after high school. By then I was at USC and when I came back, I just drove anytime we did anything.”

Juice walked over and carefully placed the helmet on her head, adjusting the straps. “Well, I’m lucky then.”

She brought her eyes up to his, smiling at the twinkle in the big brown eyes looking back at her. “Why?”

He took her hand, leading her to the bike as he slid on. “Because I get to be the person that gave you your first and second ride on one of these babies.”

Abby stared as he extended his hand out toward her. Her heart was racing at the idea of riding on his motorcycle. She rode with him once before, but she was so pissed off then so nervous wasn’t what she was feeling.

She took his hand and swung her leg over the seat. She could feel her cheeks heating up as she felt his six pack as her hands slid around his waist. The close proximity of their bodies made her heart speed up for a completely different reason and the speed of the motorcycle whipping out of the parking lot was furthest from her mind.  
**

Juice opened the door to the building he parked in front of, letting Abby enter before him. She looked around the room at the crowd of people in front of her and looked over her shoulder. “A country bar?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

“I come here sometimes,” he answered. “I know it seems strange, but everybody keeps to themselves and nobody cares what you look like.” He pointed to the stage. “Plus there’s karaoke tonight and I thought it would be fun to observe the drunks singing.”

She smiled. “I like it.” She headed over to the bar to order a beer. The Whiskey Barrel Saloon was definitely country, the guns and saddle hanging along the ceiling above the bar were dead giveaways. The wood, plank floors, brick walls and white Christmas tree lights strung throughout the bar seemed like an odd mix, but everything went together well. There were cowboy hats almost everywhere she turned, but despite the two of them looking like they belonged in a different kind of bar, she didn’t feel out of place. 

Juice handed her the beer she ordered and pointed to one lone table in the corner of the room. “We should snag it because it will be packed in about thirty minutes when karaoke starts.”

Abby slid onto the stool and took a long drink from her bottle. She set it down and pointed to it. “PBR has to be the best cheap beer around. It beats that Miller Light and Budweiser you guys keep stocked at the clubhouse.”

Juice let out a loud laugh. “I’ll make a request for PBR at the clubhouse in case you ever come to one of the parties.”

She paused for a second, not sure what to say. She had never been to one of the parties at the clubhouse. Bobby did his best to shield her from them opting to put on as many picnics as he could so she could be involved with club activities that were tamer. It hadn’t dawned on her that at some point in their relationship she might need to consider coming to the clubhouse for a party.

“So, I have to admit,” she began, pushing the clubhouse activities out of her mind. “When you said you wanted to plan a night for us to go out in Lodi, I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

He waved his hand around the room. “I’m sure you weren’t expecting this.”

Sipping her beer nervously, she meekly shook her head no then she sat up real straight. “Don’t get me wrong, I really like this place, but I would have never guessed we’d be coming to a country style bar on karaoke night.”

“See, I’m not just a bad ass biker,” he responded with a wink. 

She glanced up as he leaned in close to her. “Thanks for coming out with me.”

Their eyes didn’t waiver from each other as she touched his hand lightly. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”  
****

The karaoke was in full swing as the clock hit eleven. The couple were laughing, cheering on and singing along with some of the patrons who were climbing on stage one after one to sing a song of their choosing.  
As the current entertainer was finishing up, Abby put her third beer down and stood up. She slipped her leather jacket off and placed it on the table. “I’m going to go sing.”

Juice sat up straight and chuckled. “You’re joking, right?”

“Nope,” she confidently answered. “Remember, I come from a musical family. I can sing.” 

He waved his hand toward the deejay, flashing his pearly whites at her. As she took a step toward where several enthusiastic karaoke singers were congregating, she froze. Sure, she could sing; it was a trait she got from both sides of her family, but it has been a very long time since she sang in front of group of strangers. In fact, the last time was in college after her and Tara had made their rounds to all the college hangouts.

“I’ll be right here to cheer you on.”

She felt goosebumps mixed with excitement as Juice’s breath skimmed across her neck. She didn’t look back instead opting to head toward her destination. Her ability to control her urge to kiss him was becoming too much to bear.  
**

Abby listened as the person before her finished their song. She could feel her nerves churning inside of her as the young girl came off the stage and handed the microphone over.

Her knees were shaking as she came to a stop in the center of the wooden platform and listened as the music of ‘Fancy’ played over the speakers situated on each side of her.

After the initial butterflies calmed down, Abby really felt herself getting into the song. She tried to stay focused on the words on the prompter behind her, but she couldn’t help but notice her fellow bar patrons were clapping, singing and moving along with her performance.

As the song came to an end, she erupted into laughter as people started cheering her. She made her way to the drunk guy standing along the side waiting for her to hand off the microphone like they were in a relay race.

She thanked the deejay and made her way back to where Juice was. She pushed through a couple ladies who commented what a good job she did and saw Juice watching her intently that infectious smile spread across his face.

Swiftly, she grabbed the beer he had waiting for her and plopped onto the stool. “Wow, that was crazy.” She giggled.

“That was an interesting choice,” he spoke. “Fancy by Reba McIntyre, where did that come from?”

Abby leaned in close. “Gemma.”

“Gemma?” Juice asked curiously.

“She loved Reba McIntyre. Jax used to complain about it, but I didn’t think it was too bad. Fancy was my favorite song. I remember singing with her to it in the kitchen while I helped with dinner.”

Juice crossed his arms across his chest. “Bobby loved Elvis and Gemma loved Reba. I sure am learning a lot about them.”

“Happy to help,” she answered, playfully punching his arm. She watched as he punched her back then yawned. “Tired?”

He shrugged. “I’m always tired. It’s part of being a club member.”

She looked at the cowboy boot clock behind them and let out a whistle. “It’s almost one in the morning. Where did the time go?”

“Are you tired?” he asked.

“Not really, but I don’t want to keep you up.” She glanced down as he took her hands and stared directly at her.

“I would really like it if you crashed at my house tonight. I promise to behave, but that night we fell asleep on the floor was some of the best sleep I’ve had.”

Her cheeks began to burn and she thought for sure even in the smoky darkness Juice would be able to see they were certainly scarlet red. She cleared her throat and whispered. “I would love to.”

She watched as he pushed all their empty beer bottles into the middle of the table then got up from his stool, grabbing her jacket. She felt as he placed the cool leather across her shoulders as she slid her arms into it. As she stood up from her stool, she found herself mere inches from him. As she began to say something clever, she was stopped as his warm lips met hers. She felt herself melt into him as her mouth moved with his in a slow dance. She felt like she was floating on air as he backed away and looked down at her. 

“I’m hope that was alright,” he quietly began. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night. I promise to keep it in check once we get to my house.”

She nodded, trying to pull herself together. “It was perfectly fine,” she managed to answer, as she took his hand and followed him out of the crowded bar.


	17. Chapter 17

Abby could feel the soft breathing coming from beside her. She tried to move, but realized his arm was draped over her stomach and his leg was draped over her calves. She smiled to herself and relaxed into the bed. 

His place was small, but cozy. One open room with a small kitchen to the right of the front door, a small living area with a nice sized television and Xbox in the middle then to the left was the sleeping area. There was one other room that housed a small bathroom with a small closet area dividing the two areas. It fit his personality. 

She pulled the white t-shirt up to her nose and took in the smell of him. She told him that she had no problem sleeping in her clothes, but he wouldn’t hear of it. So, she changed in the little bathroom and came out to find him stretched on the bed in a pair of sweatpants and wife beater. 

They settled into bed, sharing a few more kisses and then talked until they both fell asleep. Talking to him was becoming one of her favorite activities. She could just be herself without getting lectured about where her life was going. He always wanted to hear what she had to say about anything and everything. Juice, on the other hand, didn’t talk as much. Anytime she would ask him about his past, he would find a way to get the conversation back to her. She hoped that in time he would open up more about that part of him. He was so comfortable talking about every other aspect of his life, but where he came from was very sporadic.

She peered over at him looking peaceful as he slept next to her. She saw the clock on the nightstand over his shoulder; 9:20. She had no desire to get up, but knew life would come calling. 

With that thought, his cell phone beside the clock started to buzz. She shut her eyes quickly, not wanting him to know she was admiring him while he snoozed. He stirred beside her, slowly dragging his limbs from her and rolling over to get the phone.

She didn’t need to listen to the phone call because she knew it was one of the guys calling about something club related. Abby had a feeling her fantasy world within the confines of his studio apartment were about to come to an end.

She felt his arm wrap back around her middle as he kissed her elbow. “Good morning,” he mumbled.

Abby scooted down a little so she could curl up under his chin as she whispered ‘good morning’ back to him. She shut her eyes and nestled in, waiting for him to say something about his phone call.

After a few minutes, he mumbled, “I have to be at the clubhouse by 11:30. Clay needs a couple of us to ride with him to Oakland.”

“Okay,” she answered quietly. “I should probably get back to Bobby’s. I have to work today and should study some so he won’t jump down my throat.”

“I wish we could lay here all day,” he whispered, pulling her tighter against him.

She sighed, not saying anything. She wanted to relish in this for as long as she could because there was no way of knowing when it would happen again.

He kissed the back of her neck then pushed himself up. “I’m going to make some coffee.” 

Abby rolled onto her side and admired him jogging across the room to the kitchen area. The smell of brewing coffee soon filled the air. She really didn’t want to get up. She felt so relaxed and comfortable in the little studio apartment with him, but the reality of their situation loomed over her causing her stomach to fill with knots.

Juice climbed onto the bed and handed her a cup of coffee. “I bought a couple different creamers and some Splenda.” He pointed to the hot beverage. “That has French Vanilla and two Splenda’s.”

She could feel the smile spread across her face. “You did that for me?”

He shrugged, looking down at his coffee. “I thought I should have it here in hopes that you’ll come back.”

Abby put the coffee down on the nightstand beside the bed and leaned over, wrapping her arms around his waist and placed her cheek against his chest. “I will definitely be back.”

A sigh escaped her mouth as she felt him kiss the top of her head then stroke her hair. She could see the clock out of the corner of her eye. She was trying to ignore the fact that he needed to start getting ready to go. 

She could feel her eyes drift shut as her body relaxed against him. Just as she was seconds away from drifting into complete sleep, she felt him shift and quietly tell her that he had to get dressed.

“Ugh,” she grumbled. She leaned back and looked up at him. “I guess I should go too.” Her body relaxed again as he pressed his lips against hers softly, letting them linger before pulling back. She smiled as he walked into the bathroom and started the shower. 

Slowly, she slid off the bed letting her feet touch the cold hardwood floors. Padding over to her clothes, she grabbed her phone from her bag. There were several missed messages from her uncle and one from Opie. She groaned, realizing that she never checked in with anyone last night to tell them she wouldn’t be home. She knew she was in deep shit. 

Quickly, she changed into her clothes from the night before and tried to smooth her hands over her unruly curls. She paused for a second before putting the white t shirt on top of the dresser. She had half a notion to shove it in her purse so she could wear it every night to be to feel close to him. She laughed realizing that seemed a tad crazy. 

Her eyes shot to the bathroom door as he appeared with a towel wrapped around his waist. It took her a second to form a sentence as she averted her mind out of the gutter and onto leaving his apartment.

“I forgot to grab my pants,” he commented with a smile.

“Sure you did,” she answered, raising an eyebrow as he chuckled a little and walked across the room to snatch up his cargos. 

Abby pointed to her phone. “I have to go. I have a bunch of missed calls from my uncle. I forgot to call him to tell him I wouldn’t be home.”

Juice pointed to the bathroom. “I’m going to throw these on and I’ll be right back out.” He glanced back before disappearing into the small room. “Don’t leave.”

She smiled and nodded her head. The more time that passed the more pissed her uncle was surely getting which made her not want to leave his place. 

Seconds later, Juice came running back out scooping her up in his arms and hugging her tightly. “I’ll call you later.” She felt him kiss her forehead as she back away and headed onto the little porch leading down to the parking lot.

Abby glanced over her shoulder as she started around the corner to see Juice puffing on a cigarette and watching her. She smiled and waved then power walked to her car. She needed to haul ass back to Bobby’s house to smooth things over before he had a coronary.   
**  
There were several bikes parked outside Bobby’s house as she flew into the driveway, practically jumping out of the car before putting it in park. Hurrying up the walkway, she could hear the voices coming from inside of the house. 

Taking a deep breath, she opened the front door and plopped her purse and keys onto the table. She saw what looked to be half of the club standing inside the living room as she made her way down the hallway. Chibs and Tig looked at her then back at Bobby. She saw Clay elbow Bobby from the other side of the room.

“Where the hell have you been?” Bobby boomed, his curls flying as he stomped across the living room toward her.

She glanced over at Opie who was standing to her right, looking at her with a curious look on his face. His twin, Jax, was standing beside him trying to hide his snickering. She rolled her eyes knowing he was loving the fact that she was in deep shit instead of him for a change.

“I went to Oakland last night with some friends from college. I crashed at the hotel room they were staying in because it was late.”

Bobby stopped in front of her and held up his cell phone. “You have one of these, right?”

She shook her head, not saying a word. She knew he was going to be pissed when she got here, but he was beyond pissed. She wasn’t sure she had ever seen him this mad.

“Unless something is wrong with the phone, you should have used the damn thing to call me,” he yelled.

“I’m sorry. We were drinking and I just forgot.”

Her uncle started pacing around the living room, running a hand through his curls. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you lately. You came home and went back to work while keeping your nose in your books so you could take the exam as soon as possible. Now, you missed the first sitting and you’re staying out all night.” He stopped, turning to face her. “You’re being irresponsible.”

Abby could feel a tear in her eye. In the background, she heard the front door close and footsteps heading toward them. Irresponsible was not a word he had ever used to describe her. Normally, he was proud of her. Seeing him this pissed off was enough for her to just throw her hands up and not explore what she really wanted.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking at her feet as the tear escaped down her nose.

She heard Opie clear his throat from across the room. “Let’s get going. Juice and Kozik just walked in.”

Abby’s heart thumped loudly in her ears as she heard the first name come out of her best friend’s mouth. She didn’t know he was coming here and now here he was in a room full of tension over something they couldn’t tell her uncle.

Bobby grumbled something and brushed past her into the hallway. She felt someone’s arm come around her shoulder. “Ya know he worries about ya. He’ll cool down by the time we get back.”

She brought her eyes up to see the sympathetic ones of Chibs staring back at her. She smiled slightly and nodded her head. She turned to look at Opie who just stared at her with a concerned look on his face as he followed behind the guys.

“Way to go Abby,” Jax laughed as he walked by. 

She punched him on the arm then turned to see Juice lagging behind the guys heading outside. He gave her a half smile and mouthed “I’m sorry” before turning to join his brothers. Abby peered down the hallway as the door closed behind them and the sounds of motorcycle engines filled the air.

On the table beside her purse were her books. They stuck out like a sore thumb. Turning, she headed toward the stairs. Studying should be the first thing she did, but she had absolutely no desire to look at a law book at that moment. She hoped after a hot shower she could muster up the energy to get back to her studies, but in the pit of her stomach she knew that was very doubtful.  
**

After getting out of the shower, Abby laid down and took a nap. She had hoped that taking a shower would refresh her which would in turn motivate her to grab her books and study. Unfortunately, all she wanted to do was go to sleep.

She was woken up at four to the house phone ringing to find Gemma on the other end. She was told to come over for dinner while the guys were in Oakland so she drug herself into her closet to pull on something that didn’t look slept in.

At first she wasn’t overly excited about going to Gemma’s. She loved Gemma, but after Bobby’s blow up, she wasn’t feeling overly social. Now, that she sat watching Gemma clear the dishes from the table, Abby was glad she had been ordered to come over.

After Gemma was done, she walked over and handed Abby a beer while she slid into the seat across the table. Lighting a cigarette, Gemma exhaled loudly and relaxed into the chair. “So, what’s going on with you?”

Abby shrugged her shoulders. She had been waiting for the conversation to get to this topic all night. “Nothing.”

Gemma let out a loud laugh. “Nothing my ass. You’re on Bobby’s shit list over missing the bar exam so don’t look at me and pretend there’s nothing going on.” She leaned across the table and looked Abby in the eyes. “I know you better than that.”

With a sigh, Abby shrugged again. “I’m just tired. Bobby doesn’t understand that I have to take two bar exams. One in California and one in Illinois so that I can practice in my states for the firm I’ll eventually be working on. They want me to take one of their clients who is based out of this area in addition to some in Chicago. I just need some time to breathe for a bit.”

Abby watched as Gemma looked her face up and down. She could feel her stomach flipping and her heart pounding. Gemma could spot a lie a mile away. It was a gift she possessed. Abby wasn’t totally lying, but she wasn’t telling the complete truth either.

“Have you tried telling him that?”'

Stifling a sigh of relief, Abby slid down in her chair. “I tried, but he doesn’t want to listen. All he is concerned about is following through with the promise he made to my dad. I get they were best friends and brothers, but it feels like that is all that matters.   
I’m not going to be the star attorney my dad wanted me to be if I’m burnt out.”

Gemma nodded in agreement. “I can try to talk to him and make him understand. I can’t promise anything, but maybe if he hears it from someone else it will make a little more sense.”

Abby laughed. “Possibly, but he already thinks that you’re vying for me to stick around Charming.”

Gemma stood up and looked down at her. “This is true, but you need to do what’s best for you. It’s not like you’re telling him that you’re knocked up, getting married and staying in Charming for a guy. Now, that might be harder for him to be okay with.” 

As she watched Gemma walk back to the sink to scrub out the one remaining dish left in the sink, Abby felt like she could pass out. Her mind began to race. Did Gemma know something was going on? Even if Gemma didn’t know, that statement just reiterated the fact that her uncle would blow up even more than he was if he found out what was causing her to drag her feet from reaching her ‘destiny’.


	18. Chapter 18

October

The sun was streaming through the sheer curtains onto the bed. Abby groaned and pulled the comforter over her eyes to keep the sun out. She stretched under the warmth of her blankets, letting her sink further into the mattress.

Today was October 15th, Abby’s twenty seventh birthday. Normally, her birthday would cause her to jump out of bed due to the excitement of the day, but today she wasn’t feeling that same joy. Abby and her uncle were still not on speaking terms. He was so disappointed in her for putting off the bar exam which made her decisions feel wrong. Bobby had always been so patient with her. She should have finished law school a year ago, but she had the opportunity to go with Tara oversees to study Spanish during their junior year. Abby didn’t think he’d let her go since it would be pushing her ultimate goal off a bit, but she convinced him that by getting better at her Spanish it would open a lot of doors for her as a lawyer. That’s all it took for him to agree to her detour. Now, she had no excuse and the reason she was questioning this path she was on was one that Bobby would never agree with.

Groaning, she decided it was best to just get this day started. Grabbing her robe, she tied it closed and slid into her slippers. Padding down the stairs, she couldn’t help but notice it was dead silent in the house which meant Bobby wasn’t there. She couldn’t remember the last time that Bobby hadn’t been in the house on a morning of her birthday.

She walked into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. As she turned around, she saw a big bouquet of lilies and various other flowers in a huge vase. There was a small card propped in front of the arrangement. Snagging it off the table, she opened it.

To my beautiful niece on her 27th birthday. 

Love,  
Uncle Bobby

Abby leaned over to smell the flowers, letting a smile creep across her face. She was happy that he was waving the white flag on her birthday. Maybe the day wouldn’t be as bad as she anticipated.  
**

Opie walked into the clubhouse and over to the bar. Sliding onto a stool, he lit a cigarette and scanned the room. Gemma was ordering some of the crow eaters around as Chucky scurried behind the bar. 

He waved his finger to where everyone was hurrying about. “What’s going on?” he asked Chucky.

“Gemma is getting the party ready for Abigail.”

“Oh shit,” he mumbled.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about the party?” Chucky asked surprised.

“I didn’t forget about the party,” Opie barked, watching as Chucky stepped back with his hands up before heading over to where Gemma was calling for him. 

So, maybe he had forgot about the party. He knew it was Abby’s birthday, but the festivities had slipped his mind. The constant ups and downs in his house distracted him from things like this. He glanced over as he felt someone plop onto the stool next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the blond, disheveled hair of his other best friend.

Elbowing Jax, he asked. “Did you remember about the party?”

“Not until I walked in here.” Jax grabbed the lighter sitting between them and lit up. “Did you?”

Sighing as he blew out a cloud of smoke, Opie adjusted his hat. “It slipped my mind.”

“Whoa, Ope, you’re slipping.”

“Shut it asshole,” Opie grumbled, ignoring Jax’s chuckles from beside him. The truth was, he was slipping. He felt like he couldn’t stay focused on anything anymore and it was starting to show.

The duo looked up when they heard whistling approaching the bar. Bobby stopped at the corner of the bar with a glow on his face. 

“Bobby, you look rather chipper,” Jax began with a laugh. “Did you get laid last night?”

“Cute, smartass,” Bobby answered with snort. “It’s Abby’s birthday in case you two forgot.”

They both shook their head and simultaneously said “No.”

“I know I’ve been a hardass on her lately, but today’s her special day so I’m putting that to rest for now.” He held up a box with a cheesy grin on his face. “I got her boxed sets of Elvis, Cash and Fleetwood Mac.” Bobby winked at the two and headed in Gemma’s direction.

“What did you get her Ope?” Jax asked, putting out his cigarette.

Opie grunted. “Cash, I’m going to throw her a wad of cash.” He rubbed his eyes and pushed his hat back. “What about you?”

“I’m getting her a big bottle of vodka,” Jax answered with a hint of pride in his voice.

“Seriously?” 

“Yes, seriously. She loves vodka.”

“You know she can’t control her vodka,” Opie responded disapprovingly.

“Yeah, but she’s so much more fun when she’s drunk,” Jax replied, laughing.

Opie sighed and let his head fall forward. “Says the guy who doesn’t have to babysit her when she’s drunk.” He pulled another cigarette from his pack, lighting it up immediately. It was no secret that Abby couldn’t keep her drinking in check. She inherited that from the Munson side. Jax was right, she did loosen up when she was drinking; however, she also did incredibly stupid things and Opie was the one taking on the parental role. The party hadn’t even started yet, but Opie’s head was pounding.

“Can I get one of you to help hang some streamers?”

Opie snapped out of his daze to see Gemma, clearly in dictator mode, standing in front of them.

“Ma, don’t you think you’re going a bit overboard,” Jax started pointing around the room at all of the balloons, banners and streamers covering the clubhouse. “It looks like the damn party store threw up in here.”

Jax laughed as she smacked his arm, giving him a scolding look. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” Gemma turned her eyes to Opie. “Is Donna taking care of getting Abby here?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” he responded gruffly. Gemma thought Donna would be the perfect person to bring Abby since she would never suspect Donna to bring her to a party at the clubhouse. Opie was surprised when Donna agreed, but then again, she didn’t feel she could say no to Queen Gemma.

Gemma clapped her hands together then placed her hands on her hips, staring back at her son. “I don’t want any junkie whore problems tonight. This is the first birthday party we’ve had for Abby in years. I don’t need that bitch causing drama.”

Rolling his eyes, Jax took a drag from his freshly lit cigarette. “Not to worry mom. I don’t think Wendy is even coming tonight.”

“That’s a miracle,” she mumbled, taking two rolls of streamers from one of the crow eaters passing by. She held them out in front of the guys. “Get to work, these streamers aren’t going to hang themselves.” She began motioning toward the archway of the hallway.

Opie felt Jax smack his arm. “Come on Ope, these streamers aren’t going to hang their damn selves,” he laughed, mocking his mom. He dodged her as she smacked his arm, shoving the streamers into Opie’s big hands.

Taking one last, long drag before snuffing his cigarette out, Opie stood up. Something told him this was going to be a long ass day.  
**

Abby stared at herself in the mirror and looked back at Donna sitting on her bed with a magazine in hand. “Okay, I think I’m ready to go to dinner.”

Donna glanced up and whistled. “Look at you, you look great.” 

Abby took another glance at herself in the mirror. Donna didn’t tell her where they were headed for dinner, but to just dress in something other than jeans and a hoodie. She had so many clothes in her closet, but that was the ensemble she felt the most comfortable in so picking something different was very time consuming. Abby finally decided upon a green mini dress with flowing sleeves and deep v-neck. She put on a pair of high heeled brown boots and an amber necklace that had been a gift from her uncle years ago.

“You look great too Donna,” she answered with a smile.

“Nah, I just look like a stay at home mom,” Donna responded with a laugh.

Abby walked over to her closet and grabbed a slinky, purple tank with spaghetti straps. She saw a pair of black heels sitting next to her nightstand so she grabbed them too. She held them out to Donna. “Here, wear this.”

“Oh, Abby, I can’t wear that.”

“Why not?” Abby asked. “It’s my birthday. Let’s go out and have a good time. Then, you can give Opie a fashion show when you get home.” Abby winked at her and couldn’t help but notice the coy smile come over Donna’s face. She watched as Donna grabbed the stuff then disappeared into the bathroom across the hall.

Abby flopped down on her bed, feeling as her hair trickled down her back as she stared up at the ceiling. She had been surprised when Donna called asking her if she wanted to go out for her birthday; just the two of them. Bobby had called her to tell her he would be hung up on a run for most of the night so to enjoy her birthday. Knowing that, she figured that was why Donna called to see if she wanted to go for dinner. Her day had been very relaxing, but she despite how uneventful it had been, Abby was feeling disappointed. She had yet to hear from Juice. She thought for sure she would get a call or something seeing that it was her birthday. It’s not like he didn’t know about it, she mentioned it a few times over the course of their conversations the past week. She was trying not to get emotional about it because telling Donna why she was either sad or pissed off was not on her list of things to do for her birthday.

The sound of heels entering the room, caused her to jump up. “Look at you,” Abby said with a smile. “If Opie doesn’t jump on you when you get home, I will smack the shit out of him.”

Donna blushed and laughed. “Thanks Abby for being such a great friend to both of us.”

She was touched by what Donna said. Most of the time, she wasn’t sure if Donna even liked her or if she was just tolerating Abby for Opie’s sake. After they guys had gone on the last run, Abby thought maybe they had turned a corner, but now she knew for sure.

Hooking her arm in Donna’s, she smiled. “Okay, let’s go paint the town red.” Abby was determined that this night would be a success despite her ‘boyfriend’s’ disappearance.


	19. Chapter 19

Juice was driving like a bat out of hell. It was almost nine o'clock, the party had been underway for two hours and he was still trying to get there. The guys were sent to help Rogue River with a situation involving another group trying to impinge on their territory. The mission took longer than expected. When it was all said and done, it was the time the guys needed to leave in order to get back to the clubhouse for the surprise. Clay felt it necessary to keep a few of the guys at Rogue River for about an hour or so to ensure that things remained peaceful. Juice, Happy, Half Sack and Kozik were elected to stay. Juice couldn't exactly protest since his brothers had no idea he was dating the birthday girl and had a reason for wanting to be on time for the festivities. 

Instead, he fumed and cursed to himself while sneaking into the bathroom to give Abby a call.

As he kept his focus on the road ahead, he was trying to come up with a plan for when he arrived back at the clubhouse. She didn't answer her phone when he called her which most certainly meant that she was pissed. He had promised her a call earlier in the day, but couldn't quite do that. Juice kept trying to tell himself that she was probably just busy with studying and birthday activities, but in the pit of his stomach he knew that there was more to it than that. He felt like he screwed up royally, but what was he supposed to do? This whole relationship was a secret so his hands were tied. She had to understand that.

The Charming sign was in sight which made him step up the speed even more. He wasn't one to drive erratically so Juice was preparing himself for some backlash from one of the three guys with him. He had already decided he was going to say he had a piece of tail waiting for him at the clubhouse which they would understand. At least he had that part planned out. Now, he had about ten minutes to figure out how to handle Abby without calling attention to their secret.  
________________________________________  
Opie had managed to grab a bottle of whiskey from his dad's ever growing stash of booze at the end of the bar. Granted, it was half empty, but it would do. He found a chair in the corner of the room, plopped down and threw the cap off. Pushing, his chair back on two legs, he took a generous swig. He should have been having a good time. Donna was actually enjoying herself. She was dancing her heart out with Abby to whatever tunes the prospect was playing over the sound system. Opie couldn't remember the last time Donna had come to a party at the clubhouse, let alone had a good time. He glanced up as Jax appeared, snagging the bottle out of his hand to take a shot. Grabbing it back, he looked over as his VP sat down next to him. "Where have you been hiding?"'

With a sigh, Jax lit up a cigarette. "I was trying to track down Wendy."

"You told Gemma she wasn't going to be here tonight."

"She isn't coming, but I was making sure she wasn't hanging out with her dealer."

Opie looked over at Jax staring blankly into the sea of people dancing and carrying on in the middle of the clubhouse. "I take it she wasn't sitting at home watching old movies with a pint of ice cream."

Jax snorted, pointing out to the dance floor. "I see my birthday present was a big hit."

Rolling his eyes and downing more of the whiskey, Opie replied, "That's an understatement."

He was trying to not be a stick in the mud. Opie loved a good party just as much as the other guys, but he was feeling uneasy about this particular one. As expected Abby was pretty lit which had him on high alert. Abby was very unpredictable when she was drinking. She could go from happy to angry to overly emotional in a hot second when she was drunk and somehow Opie was the only one that could clean up the mess.

He heard some commotion at the front door and glanced over. In walked the rest of the club members that had been elected to stay behind on their earlier outing. They were being handed beers and girls were making their way over to greet them. Opie's eyes went to their Intelligence Officer who was heading toward his computer. He couldn't lie, he had been the one to suggest that Juice stay behind to make sure everything went back to normal in Rogue River. Since Abby found out about Juice, she hadn't spoken a word to Opie about their computer guy. Opie wasn't sure if that was a good thing or if she had some pent-up anger over him being a Son. It was her birthday party so Opie didn't want a bunch of drama.

________________________________________  
Juice leaned back in his computer chair, spinning his cigarette pack on the desk while watching Abby sway back and forth to the music. It didn't take a genius to see she was clearly drunk. Donna was dancing beside her as Tig tried to slide up next to them. Bobby and Chibs were there to run interference, pushing Tig into the direction of a curvy, brunette eyeing him.

Running his hand over his Mohawk, he sighed. He had to think of some way to talk to Abby without drawing attention to them. It didn't look as though Bobby and Chibs were leaving the area around her anytime soon.

Figuring out a way to get a minute with Abby alone wasn't the only obstacle. Juice had no clue what he was going to say to her once he was able to speak with her. He vaguely remembered hearing talk in the past about Abby's drinking habits. She didn't always know when to stop. He had to think of something and fast because Juice wasn't one that could think on his feet.

________________________________________  
The music kept playing as more and more people danced around the middle of the clubhouse floor. Opie glanced up to see Donna walking toward him with a coy smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile back at her. As uneasy as he was about this evening, seeing Donna having a good time made him forget about that momentarily.

Opie wrapped his arm around Donna's waist as she slid onto his lap. He was taken aback as she pressed her mouth passionately against his. As she backed away, he looked her up and down. "Have I told you that you look hot?"

Donna smiled, stroking his beard. "I think I like wearing Abby's stuff."

He pulled her closer to him and kissed her again. "I think you should raid her closet more often." He smacked her butt as she slid onto the seat next to him. He couldn't stop staring at her because he couldn't get over how different she was this evening.

Opie heard someone whistle to get everyone's attention. He turned his eyes to see Bobby standing in front of the crowd. He rolled his eyes as he watched Bobby call for Abby who stumbled a little as she stood next to her uncle. He wished he would have talked Jax out of giving her vodka as her present.

Although Bobby wasn't overly happy with Abby's decision to put off her bar exams, the moving speech he gave her completely hid that fact. Bobby loved Abby more than anything and nobody could ever question that. He told everyone he was going to sing her favorite Elvis song for her birthday. The music for "Can't Help Falling in Love" came over the speakers as Bobby went into his Elvis mode.

Opie looked down as Donna placed her hand on his knee. He smiled, looking over at her to admire the twinkle in her eye as she watched Bobby perform.

Donna cleared her throat. "Ah, look at that."

His eyes darted to the dance floor where couples were paired up slow dancing to the song. The couple that Donna was referring to was the birthday girl herself and Juice. She didn't look to be protesting which shocked him. Opie had been concerned that she might lash out at their newest member over what had come out of their date.

"It's too bad she didn't want to give him a chance because they really make a cute couple," Donna commented with a dreamy look in her eye.

Opie continued to observe the couple dancing. He couldn't help but think they did look pretty darn comfortable together which seemed a little strange to him seeing that Abby had been upset over Juice's secrecy over being a club member. He quickly brushed it off reminding himself to be thankful she wasn't causing a scene over that piece of information.  
________________________________________

Juice had continued to sit watching Abby, getting more and more concerned over not being able to go talk to her about why he had been MIA that day. When Bobby took the microphone to give a speech about Abby, Juice decided to slowly move in her direction. When Bobby went into his Bobby Elvis routine, Juice told himself 'screw it', he was going over to talk to her.

Most of the guys were being grinded on by random croweaters. Those that weren't were throwing back more liquor. Nobody was paying any attention to him making his way over to Abby who was moving back and forth with her cup in hand. Bobby was lost in song. It appeared he had forgotten that he was singing the song to Abby because he was serenading some blond.

Juice placed his hand on her shoulder, watching as she spun around almost falling over. He grabbed her elbow and watched as she straightened up. He leaned in to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, "Dance with me." He felt her recoil as she met his eyes. He could tell she was mad because her body was rigid. After what seemed like forever, she moved in closer and put her free hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she slurred.

"I needed to talk to you," he whispered, looking around. The minute someone looked suspicious of what he was doing, he would have to get back to his computer. "I'm a complete dickhead for not being here when this started."

"And for not calling me when you promised."

He sighed. "That too. I had to go with the guys to take care of a problem at another charter. I was surrounded by guys all afternoon. Then, I was stuck to finish up while most of the guys headed back here for your party." He leaned in close to her ear. "Happy Birthday. I got here as quickly as I could. I'm so sorry."

Juice waited for her to say something. He hoped she did something soon because the song was about to come to an end and he would have to disappear before Bobby caught on. He felt Abby rest her forehead on his chest and relax. He gripped her tighter around the waist just as the song finished. "I should retreat back to my hiding spot." He looked at her as she shook her head, staring down at her shoes. "But I don't want to."

"I know," she muttered.

As much as he wanted to stand there with her, he knew this wasn't the time or place to let everyone know what they were doing. Taking a few steps back, he watched as her eyes looked up as she offered him a smile. As he began to smile back, he heard Bobby yell "Happy Birthday Abby". Everyone began to chime in singing "Happy Birthday". Juice began to mumble the words as he slunk back to his seat.  
________________________________________

Opie could see Donna was beginning to wind down for the evening. She was sipping on a bottle of water, curled up under his arm. She had danced with Abby for a few more songs, but then the birthday girl got dragged away by some of the guys to do a few shots. Donna made her way back to where he was sitting and lost steam.

"You ready to go home babe?" Opie asked, looking down to see her nod.

Kissing the top of her head, he stood up and pulled her to her feet. He looked her over and smiled. "Thank you for doing all of this." He felt Donna squeeze his hand then wrap her arm around his waist.

Opie turned Donna toward the door. As they began to walk in that direction, he heard his name. With a groan, he spun around on the heel of his boot to see Gemma walking over.

"Someone needs to get birthday girl home," Gemma spoke, resting her hands on her hips.

"Can you do it Gem?" Opie asked. "I'm beat after our ride today."

"No, I can't do it. This mess isn't going to clean itself."

He knew the answer to the question before he had let it come out of his mouth. Gemma didn't ask people to do things, she ordered people to do them. He had hoped that tonight might be different. Opie wanted to get his wife home in hopes that they could continue the good evening they were having.

"Sure thing, Gemma, we can get her home," Donna piped up.

"Thank you sweetheart," Gemma replied, looking up at Opie's. "Donna's been a big help today." She winked at Donna before heading back to gather up empty cups and plates.

Opie looked over at Donna who had started to move toward where Abby was. He pulled her back to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Are you sure it's okay? I was hoping we could go home so you could give me a private show of those dance moves you were doing tonight."

He could feel himself stir as she placed her hands on the side of his face. "We should make sure she gets home okay. I'm not going to pass out anytime soon." She winked at him before leaving him to round up Abby.

Rubbing his temples, he cursed to himself. He loved Abby like a sister, but he couldn't help but feel like she was being a complete cock block tonight. It had been a long time since him and Donna had been like this. He didn't want anything to screw it up; however, he knew that Donna would be pissed if they didn't do the responsible thing getting Abby home. Opie also knew that he would wonder about her all night so the easiest thing to do was to pile her drunk ass in the car, dump her off at Bobby's then rush home to finish the evening.

Abby was babbling as she leaned on Donna to steady herself as the two walked toward him. "Come on princess, let's get you the hell home so I can get it on with my wife," he grumbled.

"See I told you that outfit would get you laid," Abby squealed with a giggle.

Opie rolled his eyes at her drunken behavior. He hoped there were no cops out because he was definitely going to break some speed limits to get her the hell home.

As he began to shut the door to the clubhouse, he caught Juice watching them walk out of the building. He nodded, watching as Juice straightened up and returned his gesture. For a second, Opie thought he saw a hint of concern in Juice's eyes, but before he could think any more of it Donna was calling for him to unlock the car doors.  
________________________________________  
There was knocking in the distance. Abby opened one eye and groaned. Pushing herself onto her elbows, she looked around her. She was on the couch in her uncle's house, completely dressed with all the lights on. Rubbing her temples, she took a deep breath and glanced at the clock. It was almost four in the morning and she needed to get up to bed, but the knocking started again.

Letting her legs hang over couch, she shifted herself to the edge before standing. She felt herself wobble a bit, but other than a headache she didn't feel too bad. It took her a second before she realized the knocking was coming from the front door.

She padded across the living room, kicking her shoes out of the way that were strewn in the middle of the floor. She vaguely remembered getting those off before passing out on the couch.

Abby pushed herself onto her tip toes to look out the peep-hole. She gasped, feeling her heart flutter. Juice was on the other side. She knew there was no way her uncle would be home that evening. Even though her mind was fuzzy about some of the evening, she did remember Bobby was busy with some blond when she left the clubhouse. There was no way he would be home that night.

Taking a deep breath to calm her stomach and heart, she opened the door. Before she could say anything, Juice grabbed her by the hips, pulled her into him and kissed her hungrily.

She pulled back as she felt him stop and move his head back to look at her. "What?"

Softly, he said, "I love you Abby Munson."

Abby could feel her heart pick up again as she grabbed his face and smiled. "I love you too Juan Carlos Ortiz." She giggled as his lips began trailing down her neck to her collarbone. She ran her hands under his shirt and up his back, feeling him shudder from her touch.

He brought his mouth back up to hers as he pushed her against the wall, hooking one hand under her knee, pulling his hips into her. Abby could feel her body heat up as he made his way back to her neck.

Finally, she was able to compose herself enough to say something. "Not here, let's go upstairs to my bedroom."

She had barely got the words out before he pulled her other leg up as he hooked them around his waist. Abby placed her arms around his neck as she felt his wrap around her waist. She nuzzled her mouth into his neck, feeling him sigh. "If you want to make it up those stairs, you should stop doing that," he breathed.

She chuckled. "Get me up those stairs."

"You got it," he answered with a laugh, as he pulled his arms around her tighter and sprinted up the stairs.

Abby couldn't help but think this birthday had turned out a lot better than she had ever anticipated.


	20. Chapter 20

December

Clay slammed the gavel down on the desk, looked at the guys and yelled "Let's party." The guys all whooped and hollered, quickly filing out of church to start the festivities of the day. Juice trailed behind, planning out how this would work for him.

It was noon on Christmas Eve and the partying was under way. Clay had told the guys they were closing TM down at noon and all club business was to be put aside until the day after Christmas. Even though there was some type of partying going on every night, the guys still had to be on their toes in case some club 'business' came up; however, Christmas Eve and Christmas were the exception.

Juice decided he would hang with the guys for a few hours. He figured by four most of them would be drunk enough that he could skip out without raising any eyebrows. He had other plans for his Christmas Eve.

Abby and he were making their secret work without a hitch which was a huge relief. Juice was enjoying all of their conversations and time that they snuck in together. He was doing everything he could to not jeopardize that being stripped away. The two had decided that they would spend the whole evening together; order in, watch Christmas movies and just hang out. He hadn't done something that normal in what seemed like an eternity.

With a smile on his face, he gladly joined the guys at the bar to throw back a shot of whiskey. He set the glass down on the wood and lit a cigarette. He watched as all but a couple of the guys disbursed to either the pool table or to find a willing lady to dance with. Glancing over, he nodded at Opie who was pouring another shot of whiskey for the two of them. Clinking the glasses together, he threw it back then turned his eyes back to the crowd.

He couldn't seem to wipe the goofy grin off his face. He felt like he had the best of everything right now. He had his brothers and an amazing girl to make him feel like he was something other than a criminal biker. The only thing that could make it better was to let everyone know and have it accepted by those important to him.

Chuckling as he watched Tig walking around holding mistletoe over his head, he looked at Opie staring into the distance. "Are your kids excited about Christmas?"

Opie laughed. "Excited doesn't quite cut it."

Juice hadn't been around Opie's kids that much, but he felt like he knew them well. Abby talked about them all the time as if they were her own. He loved listening to her gush about the Winston siblings. Lately, he found himself wondering if he could ever be a dad and how that would work.

Pulling himself out of his daydream, he went back to surveying the room. His eyes went around the room watching all the activity that was happening. As he made his way back to the bar in front of him, he noticed someone staring his way. It was the mysterious friend of Wendy's that kept randomly popping up in the clubhouse. Her long black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail which showed off those blue eyes that always had a glimmer of deviousness in them. She had bright red lipstick on which showed off the fullness of her lips. Tonight, she was wearing a slinky green top that hugged her chest. For being a computer whiz, Juice had yet to figure out who this chick was. He definitely wasn't interested, but seeing that she was stuck on him he kept wanting to find out what her story was.

He turned back to the beer in front of him and took a swig. He could see in the corner of his eyes that she was making her way over to the bar. Groaning, he kept his focus on the beer he was drinking hoping that she would get the hint and pass on by.

The clink of her heels made him tense up. He was having such a good day, he really didn't want to have this broad pressing up against him. Shocked, he heard the heels keep on going right past him. He nonchalantly looked over at her, shaking her ass and flipping her hair trying to get noticed. Chuckling to himself, he felt a sense of relief come over him.

"Hey Opie," the dark-haired woman spoke seductively.

"Jessie," Opie responded gruffly, not glancing in her direction.

Juice's ears perked up as his nonchalant glance turned quickly in the direction she disappeared in. He had only heard of one female named Jessie from Charming. "Jessie Phillips?" he questioned.

"What?" Opie questioned quickly.

Oh shit, Juice thought to himself as he realized he had said that name louder than he thought. Glancing up at Opie looking over at him quizzically, Juice excused himself to shut down his computer.

Safely in his seat, he mumbled, "Shit." Jessie Phillips was the girl who Abby had told him about sitting on the beach in San Diego. The one that hated Abby because she thought that was why Opie wanted nothing to do with her. Now she was hanging out in the clubhouse and Juice may or may not have let on to Opie that he might have heard of her.

He opened one of his desk drawers and stared at the small box neatly wrapped inside. Pushing his thoughts off of what had just transpired, he focused on the silver bow glimmering. A smile spread across his face as he thought about giving Abby the present he picked out for her. He had agonized over a gift and after some browsing on the computer one afternoon, he found what he thought to be the perfect present. It was a silver bracelet with lilies going around it. Each lily alternated colors; one for her dad, mom and Abby's birth month. The piece of jewelry matched her tattoo that was covered most of the time. Now, she had something that she could look at all the time to remind her of the two people who meant the most to her.

Smiling to himself, he shut the door and leaned back in his chair. He wasn't going to let his paranoid worries take away from the evening he so looked forward to. Christmas was going to be the best one so far for him in Charming.  
________________________________________

The party was in full swing as Opie sat beside his dad observing his brothers carry on. "Hey Pop, pass that bottle this way," Opie said in Piney's direction. He was in a good mood. Ever since Abby's birthday, Donna and him had been getting along a lot better. Normally, holidays were a source of stress for him, but this year he was looking forward to good quality time with his wife and kids. His quality time with his dad would be doing a few shots out of the bottle of tequila that was just thrust into his hands.

Pouring some into a glass then turning to his dad, he held his glass up. "Bottoms up." The stuff burned going down as he cleared his throat and promptly grabbed for his pack of cigarettes. He couldn't help but laugh as he heard Piney chuckle his gravelly laugh.

Opie felt his phone go off. Grabbing it he answered. "Hello."

"Hey babe," Donna responded. "Have you talked to Abby today?"

"No why?"

"Well, it's almost quarter of six and she had said she'd be here to help me get things ready for Christmas Eve dinner between five and five thirty."

Groaning, Opie pushed his hat off his head and placed it on the bar. Let it up to Abby to cause some stress on Christmas Eve. "Did you try calling her?"

"Yes, several times, but she's not answering the house or cell phone," Donna paused. "Can you check on her before you come home? The kids are so excited to give her the present they picked out for her."

"Yeah, I'm getting ready to leave so I'll swing by Bobby's."

"Thanks Ope, love you," Donna responded sweetly before hanging up.

Opie grabbed his hat and adjusted it over his forehead. "I swear I love Abby, but she can be a royal pain in the ass sometimes."

"You leave that girl alone. She already has Bobby up her ass about this bar exam bullshit, don't you go causing her more stress," his dad growled.

Rolling his eyes, he kissed the side of his dad's forehead. "Whatever you say Pop. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas son," Piney grumbled as he took a swig out of the tequila bottle.

As Opie hurried to his motorcycle he kept telling himself that Abby better have a damn good reason for being late and causing unneeded drama on a day that he was actually feeling festive.  
________________________________________

Opie parked his bike, sliding off and looking at the Munson residence. It was pitch dark except for what looked like a flicker of light coming from Abby's bedroom. Shaking his head, he stalked across the front lawn and began beating on the front door. It wasn't like her to stand up the kids so this seemed odd to him.

He paused for a few seconds and banged again until he saw the hall light flip on. The door opened as he looked at Abby standing on the other side wearing leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. "You're alive," he scoffed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sounding confused.

"Donna called me to say that you hadn't shown up yet for Christmas Eve," he stopped and watched as she muttered shit while looking down at her bare feet. "Donna was worried and asked me to stop over to check on you." He continued to watch her as she shifted in place, trying to keep from jumping on her case. His dad was in the back of his head telling Opie to take it easy on her. He really hated when his dad got into his head.

"I was studying and must have fallen asleep. I'll go throw on some clothes and be right over."

He raised his eyebrow and watched as she put her hand up, responding with an "I promise". "You better because if you don't get over there soon, the kids are going to be pissed off."

She nodded and began to shut the door, saying she'd be over. As he turned to head back out to his bike, he thought he caught what looked to be one of the club's cutte's. He saw dark leather and a reaper as she shut the door behind him. Pausing as he began to bring his hand back up to the door, he stopped. He knew there was something fishy going on. Opie wasn't stupid and he knew Abby better than she knew herself sometimes. He walked to his bike and slid on. He had a bit of time before she showed up at his house to figure out how he would get her to confess to whatever she was hiding.  
________________________________________

Abby peered out through the curtains to the street. Opie had finally pulled away from out front. Her heart was beating a mile a minute at what had just taken place at the front door. She couldn't believe she forgot about going over to their house for Christmas Eve.

Spinning around, she watched as Juice sat on the edge of the bed pulling on his boots. "I'm really sorry I screwed things up." She felt bad not only for worrying Donna and the kids, but for messing up the evening she had planned with Juice. She knew that Christmas Eve was one of those times her uncle wouldn't be home so it was the perfect opportunity for the two of them to hang out together. She just happened to double book herself.

She smiled as she watched Juice stretch his hand out to her. She took it and giggled as he pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arm around his neck and smiled as he pushed her hair back from her face.  
Juice kissed her nose. "It's alright. You need to go spend time with the kids."

"I won't be over there all night. How about I come to your place after I'm finished and we can go back to watching movies curled up in bed?" She paused, watching him smile brightly. "Bobby will just meet me at Gemma's in the morning so I don't have to worry about him freaking out if I'm not here."

She melted into his arms as he wrapped them tighter and pulled her close to him. "That sounds great."

Abby took one last whiff of his aftershave and leaned back, placing her hands on each side of his face. "I really need to go." She squealed as he picked her up off of the bed and carried her down the stairs.

Grabbing her keys off of the kitchen counter, she turned to Juice who had slipped his cutte on and was watching her with a smile. She put her hand out for him, smiling as he took a hold of it. They turned and headed out the side door to say their goodbyes.  
It was really dark outside. Rain was in the forecast and the dark clouds covering the moonlight validated that report. Abby turned to Juice. "I'll be right over when I'm done."

"I'll be waiting patiently," he responded with a laugh.

Abby felt her heart skip a beat as his breath got closer to her face. Shutting her eyes, she leaned forward to meet his lips.

"Abby!"

Jumping back, she whipped around to see Opie leaning against the front of her car. "Shit" she heard Juice mutter beside her.

"I thought you left?" Abby questioned, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I did. I just parked my bike around the corner and walked back. I knew something was going on with you and now it all makes sense."

"Ope, brother, let me explain," Juice spoke up, voice wavering.

Opie brought his eyes up to meet Juice's. "You should go." His voice was low, but the intensity behind it made Abby feel like Juice was being scolded. She watched him walk down the driveway and disappear around the corner. As she brought her eyes over to Opie's, he was drilling a hole into her.

"Let me explain," she started, but watched as he turned and began walking in the direction that he had just come from. "Shit," she grumbled, sliding into the front seat of her Explorer.  
________________________________________

Abby opened the door to the Winston household and stepped inside. Taking a deep breath, she walked slowly toward the kitchen. After Opie left, she called Donna to say that the two of them weren't on the best terms. Of course, Donna had a bunch of questions, but Abby told her to ask Opie about it when he got back there. She informed Donna that she needed to take a drive to get her head together, but would be over within the hour.

Turning the corner, she stepped into the kitchen. Donna was getting plates down from the cabinet and Opie was slouched over at the table. "Hey," Abby greeted meekly.

"Hey Abby," Donna responded with a friendly grin. "Have a seat. The kids are watching a movie, but it will be over soon."

Sliding into the seat across from Opie, she mumbled, "Hey Ope."

Opie didn't move or look up at her. He reached for his cigarettes and lit one up. Abby continued to stare at him feeling worse about the situation with every passing minute.

"Are you going to talk to me?" she asked pleading. She couldn't remember the last time that they had ever been in a situation like this. Sure they picked at each other and didn't always see eye to eye, but there was never a time where there was this uncomfortable tension.

"Donna, could you go round up the kids so I can talk to Abby?" Opie said coldly.

Abby watched as Donna disappeared quickly into the hallway, calling for the kids. The silence between them lingered making Abby feel antsy.

"How long has this been going on?" Opie asked sounding monotone.

Swallowing, Abby began twisting her hands. "Since June, right before I went to San Diego."

Opie chuckled, leaning back to look her in the eyes. "Now I know why the hell Juice wanted to go down there for the weekend." Taking a drag off his cigarette, he let the half-smile fade. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that this was going on?"

"I wanted to," she replied, which wasn't a lie. "I just thought it would put you in an awkward situation and I didn't want to do that to you."

"Oh, so this is a whole hell of a lot better? Damn it Abby, I'm your best friend. I've always had your back and always will."

"Now, I really feel like shit," she muttered, continued to wring her hands.

"You should," he grumbled.

The doorbell rang which startled her. She heard Donna's footsteps heading down the hall toward the front door. Abby could hear Donna's voice, but couldn't make out who she was talking to. The footsteps got closer as Abby looked up from the table.

Behind Abby was Juice who looked terrified as he stopped right inside the doorway. Thankfully, Donna spoke up. "Everything is on the table and the kids are patiently waiting."

Opie nodded, looking between Juice and Abby. "Donna called Juice to come over after I got home and told her what happened. She thought the two of you shouldn't have to spend the evening apart."

"And you don't feel that way?" Abby questioned, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

Abby watched as Opie stood up and stopped beside Juice, looking him up and down. She wasn't sure what Opie was going to do or say. Her stomach was churning inside of her as she tried to settle herself.

"I don't know what the hell the two of you are doing, but I will always support Abby," he stopped and turned to look Juice in the eye. "If you do anything to hurt her, you and I will have a problem."

With that statement, Opie told them to hurry to the table before the kids ambushed the kitchen. After he disappeared, Abby walked over to Juice and wrapped her arms around him. She could hear his heart pounding inside his chest. Looking up at him, she offered him a smile. "He's cool so don't worry. If he wasn't, you wouldn't be standing in his kitchen."

"I hope you're right, but Opie isn't the only reaction I'm worried about."

She took his hand and began to walk with him out of the kitchen toward the dining room. "Everything will be fine."

Abby wasn't sure who that statement was for. Opie had never been her biggest concern when it came to their secret getting out. Even though she was trying to reassure Juice that it will all be okay, she knew deep down that would be a miracle.


	21. Chapter 21

January  
Abby looked up from her books and glanced around the diner. Tapping her fingers on the countertop, she sighed and shut her notebook. "Hey Katie, can I get a huge cup of coffee to go?"

The waitress behind the counter came over and smiled. "Sure thing Abby. How's the studying going?"

"It's not," she mumbled and closed the book she had been trying to read.

The heat in Bobby's house malfunctioned the night before and it was going to take all day for the repairmen to fix it. She had tried to study in her room with the door closed, but the noise was too much for her to handle. Thinking the diner was a good idea because she could keep drinking coffee all day while studying, she took off there. Unfortunately, between the noise and wanting to observe people as they came in and out, Abby couldn't continue to hang out there.

Grabbing the cup of coffee while slinging her bag over her shoulder, she groaned. Abby had called Gemma that morning to see if she could study over there, but she was having a roof put on the back porch. Gemma had suggested she come over to TM to study. The guys would only be at the clubhouse for a little in the afternoon and it was a slow day at the garage. It looked as though that was her only option.

Shivering as she stepped onto the sidewalk, she tied the sash on her long, grey fleece coat. An unseasonably cold day, coupled with not having heat all night and Abby felt like it might take all day to get her body temperature back to normal.

As she began to head toward her car, she noticed a familiar face standing in front of the pharmacy. "Hey Jake," she greeted, stopping in front of the tall, shaggy haired guy who had a smile on his face as she approached. "I didn't realize you were still in Charming. Weren't you living in Arizona?"

"I was, but my grandma died about a year ago. I came home for the funeral and never made it back."

"I'm sorry to hear about your grandma," she paused, looking at the guy that had crushed on her in high school. "So, are you planning on going back to Arizona?"

Before, Jake could answer, the bell above the pharmacy door dinged as the stocky figure of Ernest Darby stepped out. Looking Abby up and down, he smiled coyly. "Hey Abby, you back in town?"

"Just temporarily. I'm here studying for the bar exam and then off to Chicago."

"I bet the Sons would love to have you stay and represent them with any legal issues they might encounter."

Abby just smiled, pulling her bag tighter over her shoulder. Darby had always been a huge thorn in the Sons side and he seemed to have a way of creeping Abby out. She looked back at Jake and touched his arm. "It was really nice seeing you Jake." Quickly, she took off toward her car feeling as though Darby's eyes were stuck on her making her shiver.

Darby looked at his nephew who was watching the Munson girl walk down the sidewalk. "I bet her uncle is thrilled to have his prized possession back in town," he paused, turning his attention to the curls bouncing in the distance. "Didn't you have a thing for her in high school?" He smiled as he heard his nephew mumble yes, watching as Abby disappeared around the corner.  
________________________________________  
Gemma wasn't lying when she said TM would be quiet today. The guys had been gone all afternoon and the garage was surprisingly dead. There was one car being worked on and that was pretty much the extent of it.

Abby was in a groove with her studying. For the first time in many months, she was feeling really motivated to take the bar exam.

The motorcycles roaring into the parking lot snapped her head up. With a sigh, she knew her motivation was going to go downhill now.

"You found a quiet place to study," Bobby commented, approaching the table.

"It was quiet," she quipped, groaning as Jax and Opie slid onto the bench with her.

"Don't bother her. She needs to stay on task," her uncle scolded.

Jax made a face at him as the older, stout man disappeared into the clubhouse with the guys. "So, why are you here studying?"

Abby pretended to be focusing back on her books, but she was trying to watch Juice as he came across the parking lot. "The heat broke last night and it's being fixed as we speak. I was going to go to your mom's house, but she was having a roof put on in the back plus those birds squawking are really distracting."

"You could have used my house," Jax replied.

Abby laughed. "Sure, if I want to deal with Wendy and the mess your place is surely in."

The two guys looked at each other strangely which caught Abby's attention. She put a pencil in her book and shut it. "What's with the look?"

"What look?" Opie asked calmly.

"That look the two of you give each other when there's something going on and you don't want me to know."

"We don't have a look," Jax responded, puffing on his cigarette.

Abby laughed loudly. "Oh, please, you two have been doing this since we were kids, but at some point I'll figure it out."

"Sort of like Opie figured your secret out," Jax mumbled.

"What?" Abby screeched. She looked at Opie who had put his head down and was studying his cigarette pack. "What is he talking about?"

"Your secret," Jax spoke again. "You know, the one you've been hiding."

"What the hell Ope? This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you'd tell this dope over here and…" Abby trailed off and looked over at Jax who was laughing hysterically. "What are you laughing at?"

"Opie didn't tell me shit. I was telling him something today and he made a comment that everyone had a secret lately. I just used my huge brain to realize it had to be you and now you've confirmed it."

"You're such an asshole Jackson," Abby grumbled.

"I can't believe you fell for that Abby," Opie mumbled, lighting a cigarette.

Abby couldn't believe she fell for it either. She had book smarts, but Jax always had street smarts. It is what made him a great Vice President of the club and someday would make him a great President.

She tried to ignore Jax elbowing her in the side, but he wouldn't let up. "What?" she yelled.

"So, what's your secret?" he asked quietly, raising an eyebrow.

"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to tell you. You can't keep a secret to save your life," Abby retorted with a snort.

Jax got quiet and put out his cigarette. "Wendy's pregnant," he murmured, not looking at either of them.

Abby stared from Jax to Opie completely stunned. Opie had a blank look on his face as Abby searched it for some sort of emotion. She could only imagine how he was feeling. His two best friends had told him some very secretive stuff over the last couple weeks, he had to be feeling all sorts of things.

Turning back to Jax, Abby asked quietly. "How far along?"

"Five weeks," Jax paused, lighting another cigarette. "Ma is gonna shit."

Abby almost said something to that, but silenced herself. Gemma always wanted grandkids. When Thomas died, Jax became her everything, but now he was all grown up and she needed something to dote on all the time. Unfortunately, the fact that Wendy was the mom would make her go through the roof.

"What are you going to do?" Abby couldn't think of anything else to say at that moment without starting an argument of some sort.

Running his hand through his hair, he chuckled. "I guess I'm going to marry her. That might make things appear somewhat better."

"That's one way to look at it," Opie grumbled, still with a blank look on his face.

"So, Abby, I shared my deep dark secret. It's your turn," Jax joked.

Abby swallowed and looked at Opie who now had a serious look on his face. She wished she could figure out what he thought about her telling Jax, but he wasn't giving her much to go on and she couldn't exactly ask him. Jax had just shared something that was going to cause a whole bunch of drama so she felt compelled to share too.

"You promise not to say anything?" she asked carefully.

Blowing a puff of smoke into the air, Jax laughed. "Abby I just told you that Wendy is pregnant. You could go tell everyone and get the shit storm rolling, but I'm going to trust that you won't do that. You have to trust me too."

Again, Abby stared back at Opie with his serious look trying to will him to say something, but it was clear to her that he wasn't. Before she knew it, she was blurting it out to Jax. "Juice and I are dating."

Abby could feel her stomach turning inside of her. The silence between the three of them made her want to throw up. All of sudden, Jax burst out laughing. She sat back startled by his response. She wasn't sure what she was expecting out of Jax, but this was not what she had imagined.

Quieting down, Jax turned to her. "Did you just say you were dating our computer nerd?"

"If your computer nerd is Juice, then yes, that's what I said."

"Holy shit," he remarked. "Bobby is going to shit a brick."

Abby ran a hand through her curls then massaged her forehead. That was probably putting it mildly. Abby had imagined that Bobby would ship her off to some far off place after beating the crap out of Juice.

"So what are your plans with that?" Jax asked curiously.

Shrugging her shoulders, she still couldn't help but fixate on Opie's face. He went from blank, to serious, now to a look of curiosity. Christmas Eve had gone great once Juice arrived. Opie loosened up and it turned into a very common type of get together for friends during a holiday. For a moment, Abby forgot they were even in the club and she began to picture what it would be like if they had no association to the Sons. Since that night, there was no more talk between her and Opie about her dating Juice. Abby knew he had questions, but didn't want to stress her out. He was always looking out for her in that way.

"As I see it there are a few options," she paused, looking back at Jax. "I stay in Charming."

With the mention of that option, Jax snorted. "Over Bobby's dead body."

Ignoring that statement, she continued. "He stays and I leave as originally planned." She stopped and looked between the two guys. Option number three was one she had been thinking about a lot lately. She had mentioned it very briefly to Juice a while back in the copy shop, but since then it never came back up. Even though the couple hadn't discussed option number three, Abby couldn't put it out of her head. "We both go to Chicago."

She watched Jax's face go from looking amused, to looking perturbed. "What?" she questioned, nervous about what he was going to say.

Jax rubbed his temples. "How exactly would that work Abby? You and Juice go to Chicago to live happily ever after. He's a member of the Sons, what the hell would he do there?"

Abby shrugged. "He could go to school for computers. That's what he does here."

"Illegally!" Jax yelled, causing Abby to jump. He quieted down and looked her in the face. "Juice is our hacker, that's what he does. It's not something that he can put down on a fucking college application."

Sighing, Abby looked at Opie who was staring at his hands. Turning back to Jax, with optimism in her voice, she spoke, "He could take classes and learn a lot to do computer stuff legally."

"No, Abby," Jax began, trying to stay calm. "It doesn't work like that." He motioned toward the clubhouse. "We are criminals; criminal thugs some might say, you can't mold us into 'normal' jobs. It just doesn't work like that." He slammed his hand down on the table and stood up.

"Jax," Opie sternly called, standing up from his seat.

Abby watched as the two of them stared each other down. She had no idea what the hell Jax's problem was, but she had a feeling it had something to do with his long-lost love; Tara Knowles. Standing up, she grabbed her stuff and looked at the guy she considered her brother. "You know what Jax, just because your high school relationship didn't turn out the way you wanted it to doesn't mean all relationships with a club member have to be the same. Screw you for thinking like that." She stormed off toward her car as she saw Chief Unser pulling into the lot. She didn't care if the heat was still off at the house. She needed to get away from Jax before their conversation got even more heated.

Jax stalked over to Unser as Opie trailed behind, watching Abby screech out of the parking lot. He felt bad for not speaking up, but he really had no idea what to say about her relationship. On one hand, he wanted Abby far away from the club. He didn't want to see her end up like some of the other old ladies. On the other hand, he liked the idea of Abby staying in Charming. Donna and she were becoming closer which had been a godsend to his relationship with his wife. Plus, he missed his best friend when she wasn't around.

The duo stopped in front of Unser, Jax speaking first. "What brings you down here Chief?"

"Clay here?"

"He's still out with Tig. Anything I can help you with?" Jax puffed out his chest like he was trying to remind Unser that he was second in charge.

"One of my men saw Alvarez and Darby sitting together in the park."

"Okay, and?" Jax asked.

"Well I don't think they were enjoying the sunset," Unser scoffed.

Jax chuckled, lighting a cigarette. "So, what do you think it means?"

Unser rubbed the top of his balding head. "I called one of my buddies in the department in Stockton. There's been sightings of the two of them together there. I think they're trying to work together on something, just not sure what." Unser stopped and looked around the parking lot. "Thought it should be brought to the club's attention before it ends up on your doorstep."

"Thanks Chief," Jax called, as Unser began walking back to his patrol car. He turned to Opie and motioned toward the clubhouse. "Let's get Clay back here and bring this to the table. If the Mayans and the Nords are definitely working together on something, we need to squash it before something bad goes down."

The guys made their way back toward the clubhouse, Opie dialing Clay's number to give him the intel. They needed to get everyone around the table to come up with a plan. If not, things could go south in an instant.  
________________________________________  
Juice got up from his seat at the table and followed the other guys out the door. The guys were on high alert after Unser's visit. It was no secret that The Mayans were gunning to take the Sons down. They had been popping up here and there to throw them off their game. The Nords were showing up more and more which was a little out of character for them. Darby liked to stay hidden away from everyone to keep his drug business out of the spotlight. The rumors had been swirling that Darby was looking to take the Sons down so he could deal in Charming, but the club hadn't been able to verify that. Now it seemed as though the rumor was true and the Sons needed to stop it dead in its tracks.

Clay, Bobby and Tig went to see the Italians about some gun business then they were going to seek out Laroy to see if he heard anything about this new development. Jax, Opie and Chibs were sent to track down the Grim Bastards to discuss things with them.  
Juice hadn't been given a specific task. It was more or less, 'hold down the fort Juice' and off they went.

Twirling his pen, he stared at the screen of his computer. Abby had called him while he was in church saying that she was sick of studying and if something came free in his schedule to stop over. He glanced at the clock and sat back in his chair. He knew the guys would be out for the rest of the day so his schedule was clear to sneak away for a bit.

Shutting down his computer, he stood up and headed toward the door. Looking at the prospect at the bar, he called. "I have to run into town to pick up some flash drives and a few other things for the computer." He knew that he would have to stop somewhere before coming back to the clubhouse to cover his tracks, but that could wait until after he saw Abby.  
________________________________________  
He knocked on the side door, looking over the Mustang parked inside the car port. Abby never talked about the car with Juice, but he knew from the chatter around the clubhouse occasionally that the vehicle had belonged to Abby's dad. It was now hers, but for some reason she didn't drive it to the chagrin of Bobby.

The door opened and Juice was greeted with a cheery Abby. "Hey there," he greeted, kissing her tenderly.

"Come on in," Abby welcomed. "I just made a pot of coffee. I have a long night of studying since I'm leaving in a few weeks for Chicago. I feel like I'm still unsure of a few chapters, but maybe I'm being too hard on myself."

Juice stroked her hair before pulling her for another kiss. "I'm sure you're being hard on yourself. You're going to ace the test."

Taking the cup of coffee from her hand, Juice sat down at the kitchen table with her. "I take it the heat got fixed."

"Thankfully. I was an ice cube last night. I think I'm finally thawed out," she chuckled.

"You could have snuck over to my place instead of staying here to freeze."

"I thought of that, but Bobby has been like a drill sergeant lately. I think he feels I should be studying in my sleep."

He chuckled, looking down at his cup of coffee and thinking back to the car sitting outside the side door. "So, what's with the Mustang?" he blurted out.

With a sigh, Abby began twirling one of her curls. "It was my dad's. He loved that car. I remember he was always outside washing and waxing it. When he died, it was given to me. I just can't bring myself to drive it even though Opie and Jax give me shit about it all the time."

Hesitating, Juice finally decided to bring up the suggestion that was rolling around in his brain. "Do you want to take it for a drive? With me?"

He watched as Abby stared up at the ceiling, still twirling her hair between her fingers. She had talked a lot to him about her parents and their death. He knew that she tried to avoid anything that brought up the emotions from that event, but at some point she needed to face it. He thought it might be easier if she faced something with him.

Standing up, she looked down at him. "Okay, let's go."

His eyes lit up as he looked up at her. "Really?"

"Sure, why not. I have to get over this at some point. Let's take the car for a spin."

He watched as she walked to the keys hanging above the microwave, snagging a key chain with a single key on it. Quickly, he dumped his coffee out and scurried after her.

Sliding into the passenger seat, Juice sat in awe at the sleek leather of the seats and the shining dashboard. It looked like it was just bought right out of the lot. Abby wasn't lying when she said her dad took care of this car.

The car engine purred as she started it and just stared at the steering wheel. He reached over and touched her knee. "If you don't want to do this, we can shut it off, go back inside and go back to drinking coffee. I won't be upset."  
Abby looked over at him, green eyes sparkling. Squeezing his hand, she smiled. "I'm ready."

Returning her smile, he watched as she put the car in drive and zipped out of the driveway. He couldn't help but laugh when she let a "Woo Hoo" escape from her lips.

The two were so caught up in the excursion that they didn't notice the car sitting around the corner of the house, the driver of the dark vehicle watching closely at the faces inside the Mustang.


	22. Chapter 22

February

The seatbelt light went off as Abby unsnapped and relaxed into her seat. She despised flying, but hated the idea of getting in her car to drive to Chicago even more. Thankfully, she splurged for a ticket in first class and was enjoying the vodka being poured for her.

Closing her eyes, she thought about the last twenty-four hours in Charming. She spent some time hanging at the Winston's; discussing her itinerary in Chicago with Donna while playing Sorry with the kids. Opie popped in for a bit before heading back to the clubhouse to wish her luck and safe travels. Gemma made her a huge dinner while throwing in comments about how much nicer Northern Cali was over Chicago. Her uncle managed to come by the house with Clay before going to their warehouse. His demeanor was much different from the past few weeks, but Abby knew it was because he was ecstatic over her heading off to take the bar exam. After they left, she told Gemma that she needed to get a good night's sleep before heading to the airport in the morning. She grabbed her bags from the house and jetted over to spend the night with Juice.

Yawning, she shut her eyes and let a smile spread across her face. The evening had been perfect which made leaving in the morning extraordinarily hard. Juice had offered to take her to the airport, but she declined the offer feeling his presence there would make it difficult for her to get on the plane.

She was looking forward to having some time with Tara. Abby knew she would confide in her friend about the relationship she was having with Juice, but she was still debating on whether she would tell Tara about Jax. Jax and Abby had barely spoken to each other since their little blow up a few weeks earlier. It wasn't like they talked every day like her and Opie, but definitely a couple times a week. She knew he had a lot going on with the whole Wendy thing. He had told everyone about the pregnancy. Gemma reacted a lot calmer than anticipated, but Abby had a feeling she was stewing on it. In addition to the pregnancy bomb, he also said that they were going to have a quickie marriage by the Justice of the Peace. That upset Gemma more than the pregnancy. Opie had suggested Abby reach out to Jax, but she wasn't sure what to say to him. She decided she would get through the bar exam then touch base with him when she returned.

As she began drifting off, she couldn't help but wonder what Juice was doing. Even though they couldn't see each other every day, they found ways to communicate. Abby was realizing that he was becoming an important part of her life and the closer it got to her having to make a decision about the future, the more anxious she became. She didn't want to disappoint anyone in her life. She had to find a way to stop worrying about everybody else and think about what was best for her.  
________________________________________  
Opie walked into the clubhouse and looked around. It was a little after ten and the place looked like a war zone. Clearly, some of the members decided the Friday night party needed to be slightly more wild than normal. He was glad he stayed at home with his wife and kids.

Pouring some coffee, he slid onto a bar stool and ignored the mess. It wasn't his job to clean this pig sty up; that was the prospects job.

He heard the club door slam shut. Looking up from the steam coming off the top of his mug, he saw Jax looking around with a smirk on his face. "Wow, things got way out of hand after I left," he commented, grabbing a cup of coffee before plopping down beside Opie.

"You skipped out on the debauchery?" Opie asked sounding surprised.

Swallowing his coffee, Jax nodded. "I went to check on Wendy." Running his hand through his hair, he sighed, "I'm not sure if she can handle being pregnant."

Opie didn't say anything. When Jax told him about the news, he had that same thought cross his mind. Wendy loved her heroin and there was uncertainty as to whether she could love the growing life inside of her more. He knew that was weighing on Jax like a ton of bricks. Nobody wanted to think about something harming their offspring; unborn or not.

"So, were all the guys here?"

"For the most part," Jax paused and leaned over. "Juice skipped out; said he had other things going on."

Adjusting his hat then lighting a cigarette, Opie almost couldn't help but smile. Abby had left that morning so he was glad to see that Juice decided to spend the evening with her. He hadn't said it out loud, but deep down he really hoped this would work out in a favorable way.

"How long is she going to be gone for?" Jax asked.

"I think until Thursday," Opie answered. "She wanted some time with…" He trailed off not wanting to say her name. When Jax blew up at Abby, he knew it was because of his scars from Tara; Abby was dead on when she threw that out.  
He felt Jax's eyes on him as he looked over. "What?"

"This thing with Abby, are you okay with it?" Jax asked curiously, ignoring Opie's last partial sentence.

Shrugging his shoulder, he inhaled deeply on his cigarette. "When have I ever not supported Abby?"

"Good point," Jax muttered. "We haven't talked since she told me. You know how we are; a fucking love hate relationship."

Opie laughed out loud. "And I'm the damn mediator."

Approaching footsteps caused the two to look up. A bleary eyed Juice came toward the bar. They watched as he walked sluggishly over to the coffee pot, going through the motions of pouring himself a cup.

"Hey brother," Jax greeted, watching as Juice turned like he was in slow motion.

"Hey," Juice muttered quietly.

The duo watched as Juice walked lethargically to his computer and sat down, staring blankly at his computer screen.

"Wow, he's a fucking mess," Jax commented with a laugh. "I don't get it; it's just Abby."

Opie watched Juice go through the motions of turning on his computer and pretending to work. When he talked with his fellow brother after the picnic, he could tell that Juice really did like Abby. Watching him for a few more seconds, Opie realized just how true that was.  
________________________________________  
The Elixir Lounge was loud and bustling with lots of customers. Tara had their Saturday evening planned out. This was their first stop of the night and Abby found herself trying to push her mind away from Charming.

When Abby had planned her trip to Chicago, she decided it was going to be for more than just the bar exam. Since it had been forever since her and Tara had spent any time together, she decided to come for a week. The bar exams were on Tuesday and Wednesday so she decided to come the Thursday before and stay until the following Thursday. Tara had some vacation time so she took off Saturday and Sunday after being on night shift the whole week prior. Then she made sure to get the morning shift at the hospital so the two ladies could spend as much time as possible together. As pleased as Abby was to be spending time with her long-standing girlfriend, she couldn't help but wish she hadn't made this a week-long trip. She found that she was missing the brown eyes and mohawk of one Juan Carlos.

Tara came back to the table holding drinks in her hand. "Your Dirty Martini," she chimed, placing the glass in front of Abby. "We have really stepped it up from our PBR college days."

Abby chuckled. "I miss the PBR college days."

With a laugh, Tara's eyes sparkled as she chimed in, "Oh, our night isn't over yet. There's this cool dive bar around the corner called the Town Hall Pub," she paused and winked. "That's our next stop and they have PBR."

Bringing the drink to her lips, Abby couldn't help but smile. She really was ecstatic to be with Tara in Chicago, hanging out like they did for their years at USC, but she kept wondering how things were back home.

This was the first the two had a chance to really talk. Since Tara had been on night shift, Abby was still sleeping when Tara came home Friday and Saturday morning. They did grab a quick bite to eat on Friday evening, but Tara wanted to get some shut-eye before she had to go to the hospital and Abby had a ton of studying to do. Looking across at Tara scanning the room, Abby found herself just wanting to blurt out her situation.

"So," Tara began, turning her gaze back to Abby. "How are things in good old Charming?"

Abby found herself mute; not sure how to answer that question. Thinking quickly, Abby responded, "What do you want to know about?"

With a soft chuckle, Tara looked down at her hands. "How's Jax?"

"Do you really want to know about Jax? He's such a pain in the ass, we can just pretend we talked about him." Because of the newest developments with the VP of the club, Abby had been dreading discussing Jackson Teller from the moment she got on the plane.

As Tara nodded her head, Abby grabbed her drink and took a long sip. Swallowing, she answered, "Wendy is pregnant and they're planning on having a quickie wedding." She fell back into her chair and watched her friend's expression closely.

She watched as Tara stared at her blankly, bringing her martini to her lips. Even though the bar was overwhelmingly loud, the silence at their table was deafening. Slowly, Tara placed her drink down on the table. "I'm sure Jax will make a great dad."

Abby wasn't sure what to say. She was taken aback by Tara's response. Abby knew that Tara still loved Jax, but desperately wanted away from Charming and that desire took over the one she had for him. Abby expected there to be more emotion, but Tara was overly calm about that bit of information.

"There's something I should tell you," Tara spoke. "I'm moving back to Charming."

Frozen, Abby studied Tara's face for a sign that she was joking. "Come again?" Abby responded.

With a laugh, she repeated, "I'm moving back to Charming."

Abby shook her head, still flabbergasted by this newest information. Tara declared many times during their years at USC that she would never return to Charming, but yet here she was saying the complete opposite. "Why?" was the only thing Abby could say.

"I need to take care of some things with my dad's house. I had a phone interview with St. Thomas and they're interested in having me sign on there. As much as I couldn't wait to get out of that town, I feel like I need to go back temporarily. I ran away from so many things there instead of facing my feelings head on. I'd like to think I'm mature now and can deal with those issues."

"I'm dating a club member," Abby announced.

Tara froze. "You're joking right?"

Shaking her head as if she was ashamed by her secret, she muttered. "No, I'm not joking."

Holding up her drink, Tara smiled. "Here's to Charming and all the craziness it embodies."

Chuckling, Abby clinked her glass against her childhood friend's. "To Charming."

Tara would surely grill Abby later and give her opinion just as Abby would share her feelings about Tara's return home, but this evening wasn't for that. Tonight was about having a good time and living life without the grown up world hanging over them. The two girls were going to paint Chicago red.  
________________________________________  
Juice held the shot glass tightly in his hand as he steadied the whiskey bottle in his other. He threw the shot back, ignoring the bit that spilled out and down the side of his chin. He slumped down on the bar stool and poured another. As he began to bring the now full glass back to his mouth, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He squinted as he looked up at Opie's dark eyes staring down at him. "What's up man?" he slurred.

Sliding onto the stool next to him, Opie leaned in. "What the hell are you doing?"

Waving the bottle over his head, he chuckled. "Polishing off the whiskey."

Opie swiped the liquor from his hand and growled. "You're acting like a fool. People are going to start wondering what the hell is going on with you and unless you plan on telling everyone about Abby, I suggest you get your shit together."  
Juice's head fell onto his hands. He should have been in a better mood seeing that Abby would be home by early evening the next day, but he could feel this inner turmoil brewing inside of him. He had talked to Abby several times throughout her time in Chicago which brightened his day, but the voice in his head kept saying that she seemed happier there. He knew his emotions were on high right now. His paranoia was getting the best of him, but he couldn't seem to pull that line of thinking from his mind.

"I miss her Ope," he practically cried into his hands.

With a sigh, Opie called for Jax. "Are there any dorm rooms open?"

"Nah," Jax answered. "I think they're all occupied for the evening. What's wrong with him?"

Juice heard Opie get up from the stool. He looked up at Jax staring down at him with a curious look on his face. Opie was scanning the room, purposely ignoring the question their VP had asked. Juice felt like a complete idiot for breaking down like this in a room full of his brothers. Sure, nobody had made their way over to the bar to see what was going on with him, but Opie was right, if he didn't pull it together everyone was going to begin to chatter.

He heard heels approach the bar as he turned his attention to the sound of the tapping on the wood floors. Gemma sidled up to the slab of wood and looked between the three guys. "What do you need?" she asked, turning her attention to Opie.

"Juice needs a ride home," he responded, placing a hand on his shoulder. He squeezed it tightly letting Juice know not to protest. "He let his liquor get the best of him and all the dorm rooms are full. I would take him home, but Donna has the truck."

"Sure thing baby," Gemma responded in her motherly tone. "I'll grab my keys and meet him at the car."

Juice felt Opie hook his arm under his armpit, pulling him to stand. He glanced up at Jax again who was watching this all play out while puffing away on his cigarette. "Why are you doing this?" Juice slurred.

"Abby would have my ass if I let anything happen to you while she was gone," Opie grumbled, leading him to the clubhouse door.

At the sound of her name, Juice felt like he would crumble. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this vulnerable. He knew the alcohol made his emotions ten times worse, but those feelings were deep inside of him.

Gemma was standing beside the passenger side of the door as Juice approached, trying not to lean on Opie too much. She opened the door and gave him the once over. "Come on sweetheart, let's get you home so you can pass the hell out."

He slid into the seat and slouched down into the cool leather. Gemma settled into the driver's seat and started the car. As she pulled out of the parking lot, Juice glanced back at Opie trying to offer up a smile, but he didn't have the strength. He would offer Ope his gratitude for keeping him from making a complete spectacle of himself once he sobered up and got his feelings settled.  
________________________________________  
Juice opened one eye and looked out the window. He wasn't sure how much further it was to his place in Lodi, but they had to be getting close. He was trying to keep from looking at the road too much because the motion made him want to hurl. That was something he absolutely couldn't do in the Queen's car. If that happened, she would surely pull the car over and make him clean it up with his bare hands while drunk.

Closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing to keep the contents of his stomach from reaching his mouth. The music was on low as he heard Gemma humming along. Something about the buzz of the car, the sounds from the stereo and Gemma made him feel comforted.

As he felt himself drift off, he thought the car seemed to speed up. At first he thought the state he was in was making everything seem faster. Anytime he opened his eyes, he felt like he was spinning so he took a deep breath and settled further into his seat.

"Shit," Gemma breathed.

Juice's eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice. Pushing himself up, he squinted; not from being drunk, but from the bright headlights dangerously close to the back of her car.

"Gem, what's going on?" he asked confused.

"Hold on sweetheart," she ordered as she hit the accelerator even faster.

The take off sent Juice flying back into the seat. He grabbed onto the armrest while fumbling to find his phone in his pocket. If he found the phone, he wasn't sure he would even be able to call anyone let alone tell them where they were, but it seemed like the thing to do in that moment.

The lights faded, causing Juice to breathe a sigh of relief. It wasn't until he saw a dark shadow coming up beside the driver's window that he realized the car didn't turn off, but someone was trying to run them off the road. He could feel his pulse race as he found the phone in his pocket.

With shaking hands, he flipped it open and stared blankly at the numbers. The jolt from the car being pushed to the side, caused the phone to fall into the darkness at his feet. Grab your gun he told himself, trying to shimmy out from his seatbelt to get it out of his kutte.

His fingers grazed the top of his gun as he started to yank it out, but before he could do it, Gemma lost control of the car and the two found the vehicle running headfirst into the guard rail.

Juice's head and shoulders hit the dashboard at impact as the car came to a halt. He could feel something running down the side of his face and it wasn't until the metallic taste hit the corner of his lip that he realized it was his blood. He felt like his body weighed a ton as he tried to determine if he could move or not. He was able to move his head slightly to the side where he saw Gemma's head against the steering wheel.

"Gem," he whispered. He listened as she whimpered a little, but didn't say anything.

Just as she began to say something else, he heard footsteps approaching the car. "Shit," he muttered, realizing he couldn't do anything so they were surely goners.

He shut his eyes and tried to play dead. Maybe he could fool whoever this was into thinking that he was just that. There was whispering outside Gemma's window, but Juice couldn't recognize the voices. He tried to hear what they were saying, but the only thing he could hear clearly was the sound of his heart pounding away inside his chest.

He could feel himself drifting off, but before he slipped into darkness, he heard one of the male voice's say "It's not her" then the footsteps retreated. The sound of the engine of the other car disappeared into the distant as Juice lost consciousness.


	23. Chapter 23

Abby sat on the hard plastic, eyes shut, slowly bringing the coffee to her lips. She had finished the bar exam the previous afternoon then dashed back to meet Tara to celebrate. On the way, she had called Juice to share her excitement for having one test down. When she talked with him, she couldn't help but think he sounded off. The first couple days of her leaving, he was his normal upbeat self, but as the week went on Abby could sense something different in his voice; loneliness. After she hung up the phone, she had this sense of uneasiness come over her, but she pushed it off to enjoy her remaining time with Tara.

Tara had asked her earlier in the week if they could do something small in memory of her dad. The relationship she had with her father was very rocky which was part of the reason she wanted out of Charming so desperately. When her father passed, she was notified, but was told that according to his will he wanted no services. At first, Tara didn't really care about any of it. She just wanted to put it behind her and continue forward, but as the death of her father sunk in, she found that something should be done to memorialize him.

There was a huge garden on the hospital grounds for those wanting to meditate, reflect, pray or whatever. Tara said there was hardly anyone there around seven which was when she got off. Abby met her there to pay respect to her dad. Tara asked Abby to sing 'Hallelujah' because that was one of her favorite songs and one that Abby had sung in high school for a talent show. After shedding a few tears, Tara pulled herself together and off they went to celebrate Abby's first exam being finished.

Tara took Abby to a martini bar that was new and hip. The vibe was very laid back and the martinis were to die for. They reminisced about their days at USC and joked with a group of guys out for a bachelor party. Things were going great until Abby's phone rang.

Wrapping her scarf around her neck, Abby let her head fall back. She couldn't get the phone call out of her thoughts. There was still a part of her hoping that she was going to wake up and it would just be a bad dream, but she knew that wasn't the case. The reality of Juice's associations were setting in. Trying to push all of it out of her mind wasn't happening as the conversation from the previous night danced through her mind

Abby looked at the phone and saw it was Opie. Rolling her eyes and watching as Tara laughed at the protectiveness of the burly man, Abby answered the phone. "I'm fine. Not drunk…yet." She giggled with Tara.

"Abby, that's not why I'm calling."

She could feel her whole body tense up at his voice. It was stern and she knew this wasn't a checking in phone call.

"There was an accident. Juice and Gemma are at the hospital."

"What?" she screeched, jumping up from her seat. Ignoring the drink she knocked over, she began pacing around their table.

"Gemma was taking Juice home because he drank a little too much and they were run off the road. I just got to the hospital and am not sure what's going on, but I wanted to call you."

Abby's mind was racing. She stood motionless as panic washed over her. She felt Tara's hand on her shoulder, offering support as Abby tried to make sense out of the emotions coursing through her. "What am I supposed to do?" she spoke, barely above a whisper.

"I will keep you updated on what's going on. Just stay close to your phone. Everything will be fine."

She held the phone to her ear even after the obnoxious dial tone rang in her ear. The only thing she could say was that she needed a drink and from there Abby proceeded to get completely inebriated.

The voice across the speaker announcing her flight was boarding startled her out of her fog. She moved sluggishly toward the gate hoping that this ride would get her home as quickly as possible.  
________________________________________  
Opie shoved the hundred dollar bill in the nurse's hand. "Thanks Liz, I really appreciate this." He nodded as she smiled at him before going about her business.

Leaning against the wall, he looked down at his phone. It was almost nine o'clock and Abby would be exiting the elevator at any minute. Per his instruction, she called him as soon as she landed and was driving back to Charming. She was a mess; hung-over and distraught about Juice and Gemma. He told her that he would find a way to get her in to see Juice after visiting hours were through and there was no chance of having a confrontation with the other Sons that didn't know about their relationship. Thankfully, a girl he knew from school was on duty that night and money always did wonders to get people to look the other way.

The elevator dinged as Opie looked up from his phone. Abby flew out of the elevator toward him. She looked a mess. She was wearing her glasses, which was something she never did. Her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed; her curls looking twisted and unruly. As she stopped in front of him he couldn't help but notice she looked like she hadn't slept in days and there was still the slight scent of alcohol seeping from her pores.

He placed his hands on her shoulders as she approached. Looking into her lifeless eyes, he lowered his voice; trying to be calming even though it surely came off sounding gruff. "You need to pull yourself together." He kept his eyes fixed on her as he listened to her breathing become more relaxed. "I gave Liz Shaw a hundred bucks to pretend you weren't here after hours." He paused, letting everything soak in. He scanned the hall to make sure that there was nobody in the distance. Even though Liz was the nurse on the floor, there were always other workers milling about. He didn't have enough cash with him to keep everyone quiet.

Turning her toward the hospital room door, then draping an arm around her shoulders, Opie informed her of the situation. "He has a dislocated shoulder, a hell of a concussion and needed some stitches. They're keeping him until tomorrow just for observation." He glanced down at her as she stared vacantly ahead. "You can stay here all night if you want, but I will be back for you around seven tomorrow morning. Visiting hours start at nine so I want you out of here with plenty of time to spare."  
Opie stepped back as he watched her move wearily toward the room. Seeing her like this was something he despised. Protecting her was what he had always done and in this situation, he felt powerless. She made the choice to enter into this relationship. Opie knew he couldn't shield her from stuff that could happen to Juice, however, being the friend he was he would do all that he could to keep her from getting hurt.

The room was dark with a bit of light glowing through the blinds on the window. The beeping coming from the monitors that led to a sleeping Juice made Abby want to curl up and weep. She had unrelenting guilt over what happened that she couldn't seem to shake.

Juice looked so helpless lying in the hospital bed. As she stood beside the bed, she couldn't keep a few tears from escaping. She hesitated for a second before taking his hand in hers. Stroking his slender fingers, she felt him begin to move under the blanket.  
Wiping her eyes with her free hand, she plastered on the best smile she could as his eyes opened. "Well, this isn't the way I had hoped to greet you when you got back."

Abby couldn't help but giggle as she sniffed back the tears. "I didn't want to wake you."

Juice cringed as he shifted himself to face her. "I'm glad you did." Smiling, he squeezed her hand. "I'm really glad to see you."

A smile spread across her face as Abby felt herself relax for the first time since she heard about the accident. She placed her cheek against his hand as she felt him stroke her curls. "I was so worried about you," she mumbled. "How did Gemma just end up with a minor concussion and a few scrapes?"

"I was drunk and not thinking clearly. I took my seatbelt off to try to get my gun, not the brightest idea," he chuckled. "One big ass concussion, dislocated shoulder and stitches, well, here I am."

She jerked her head up. "It's not something to laugh about Juice. You could have been hurt a lot worse. Why did someone run you guys off the road?"

"Who the hell knows? We're not the most popular group in town," he groaned as he tried to push himself up on the pillow.

Abby jumped up and helped ease him into a more comfortable position. She continued to suck back the tears that wanted to break free as she watched him grimace with every movement. Once he got situated, she sat back down and gazed at his face. There were so many things spinning in her mind, so many feelings she wanted to discuss with him, but she couldn't make sense out of most of them. There was one thing that kept bubbling to the surface ever since she heard he was hurt.

Pushing her curls back from her face, she took a deep breath. "I think we should tell everyone about us."

Juice exhaled loudly and shut his eyes. "Why? Why do you think that?"

"Opie shouldn't be paying off a nurse to get me in here. I should have been able to jump on a plane, come back here and be by your side while all this was happening, but because of my decision to keep this from everyone I wasn't able to." She stopped and slid onto the side of the bed. "I hated it. I felt so helpless, it was the worst feeling, and I don't want to experience that again." She pushed the tear that slid down her nose away.

"Come here," Juice breathed, stretching his good arm out to her.

Abby scooted back on the bed, turning on her side to curl up under his arm. She felt at peace just lying next to him. Whenever she was around Juice, she always felt something so calming from him. Abby was typically a very high-strung person so his demeanor soothed her and it felt good.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

There was deafening silence as Abby waited for his response. She had dragged her feet on telling everyone about her relationship, but after all of this, she felt it was time to come clean. She couldn't do it without Juice's approval since Bobby's wrath would affect him too.

"Listen, I'm really happy that you want to let everyone know about us, but things are tense right now. The guys are up in arms about what happened. They are spending day and night trying to figure out who's behind this and until that is sorted out, we really need to wait on this."

Abby knew he was right. The car accident surely had everyone on high alert until they nailed down who was responsible. Adding more commotion to the mix, especially internal drama, would do no good. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. The thumping was lulling her to sleep. "Okay, but as soon as this is taken care of."

"Uh huh," Juice mumbled before he drifted off to sleep as Abby followed right behind him.  
________________________________________  
The shaking woke Abby from a dead sleep. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the dark eyes of Opie peering down at her. "What?" she grumbled.

"Come on Sleeping Beauty, it's seven. I want to get your ass out of here before things start picking up in the hospital."

Groaning, she rolled out from Juice's grip. Yawning, she let her legs swing over the edge of the bed. It wasn't the most comfortable sleep, but just being next to him made her feel rested.

She glanced back at Juice as she stood up. "Liz gave him some pain meds a little after five. He's out cold." Abby really didn't want to leave him without being able to let him know she was sneaking out, but there was no way he would be waking up anytime soon.  
Stroking the top of his head, she leaned down and kissed cheek. Before she pulled back, she whispered, "I love you." Even though she knew he had no clue what was going on, it made her feel better about leaving his side by saying that.

Opie was waiting for her in the hallway as she let the door close behind her. "I need coffee."

"You and me both," Opie groaned.

"Come on, I'll buy you a cup. It's the least I can do since you set this up."

"Oh yeah, a cup of coffee definitely equals a hundred dollar payoff to a nurse."

She playfully punched his arm. "Well, I'll buy you two then."

Abby squealed as he put her in a head lock as they stepped into the elevator. It was times like these that she realized she wouldn't know what to do without Opie Winston.  
________________________________________  
The diner was pretty dead which had Abby thinking she needed to get her ass up early in the morning to study here. She had one more bar exam to take and she knew that Bobby would be nagging her to get it done in July. If she didn't, he'd expect her to be on the plane to Chicago by then.

Abby smiled at the day waitress that refilled her cup. She heard Opie gruffly say 'thanks' as she glanced over at him. "I told Juice I wanted to tell everyone, but he said now wasn't the best time."

With a snort, Opie brought the coffee cup down and nodded. "He's not always the brightest one, but that is the smartest thing I've ever heard him say."

She nodded. "I know, I know, now isn't the time. It would just make things a lot easier."

Opie leaned over and muttered. "You could have told everyone when this whole damn thing started."

Abby turned her eyes to meet his. His eyes had the look of concern and disappointment. She hated seeing both in him under normal circumstances, but knowing it was because of her made her feel in the wrong. Exhaling, she turned away from him and focused on the coffee in front of her. She was too exhausted to get into a debate about the choice she made; it would turn out in a bad way and having friction with Opie was something Abby couldn't handle right now.

"Shit," Opie grumbled. Holding up the phone, he slid out of the booth and headed toward the parking lot.

Seeing him pull out his phone, she decided to grab hers. Even though she had checked in with her uncle when she got back, this incident with Juice and Gemma had everyone on edge. Having her phone out of reach would be intolerable.

As she reached for it, she froze. The brochures in her bag were sticking out like a sore thumb. With all the commotion happening in Charming, Abby put these glossy pieces of information out of her mind. Pulling the top one out, she stared at the name on the front; Robert Morris University. She had picked these up and had a delightful chat with one of the admission ladies in hopes of presenting the option of having Juice move with her to Chicago once she returned home. Shoving them back in the bag where they weren't visible anymore, she tried to push the idea to the background; now wasn't the time.

"Hey Abby."

Abby jumped when she heard the voice; she had been so focused on her dream scenario that a tap on the window would have startled her. Looking up, she smiled. "Oh, hey Jake. Enjoying a cup of coffee?" She asked, pointing at the cup in his hand.  
"Yeah, I just got off work. I'm working the night shift at a warehouse outside of Stockton."

She laughed. "Doesn't the coffee make you want to stay up?"

"Nah, as crazy as this sounds, it has the opposite effect on me. One cup of this and I'm out like a light for the day." He chuckled. "Are you up early to study?"

Shrugging, she plastered on a fake smile. "As always, I have one more bar to take and then I can fly off to bigger and better things."

"That's great. It's nice to see someone from this town becoming successful."

She began to comment back, but was interrupted by the stern voice of her coffee buddy. "Jake."

Both sets of eyes snapped to see the hulking figure of Opie approach the table, his eyes drilling holes into Jake. There was no secret that Jake's family ties didn't put him in the best light with the Sons; not that Opie ever liked him in school.

"Ope," Jake greeted, then turned with a grin to Abby. "Have a great one Abby."

"You two Jake," Abby called as he rushed out the door. Turning back to Opie as he slid back into the seat, she scolded. "Jake isn't a bad guy."

"His last name is Darby; even is he's not a bad guy he's cursed just from his family ties."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, taking a big drink from her cup. She hoped all of this craziness with the club blew over quick because the college packets were calling to her. She was becoming more and more aware that leaving Charming with Juice in tow was where her heart was pulling her.  
________________________________________


	24. Chapter 24

April

Opie walked across his lawn and sighed as he saw Abby's car. He was exhausted and was hoping for a quiet night at home. His house was never calm when Abby was visiting because the kids got extremely wound up.

He stood on his front steps and lit up a cigarette. He needed a few minutes to get himself together. Things with the Sons were still tense. There had been no more incidents since the car accident at the end of February, but everyone was still on high alert. Clay was convinced it was the Mayans which would make sense since their issues had yet to be resolved, but nothing had yet to be proven which was odd. So it was business as usual, except with more tension than normal hanging over the club.

Unfortunately, since the incident with Gemma and Juice things with him and Donna had gone south again. She was back on her crusade to get him away from the club and to an ordinary life with an average nine to five job. Opie tried that once and it didn't work for him. When he was like that he felt like he didn't know who he was. The Sons were in his blood and no matter what, deep down he knew he could never completely leave them.

Opening the door, he was amazed at how quiet it was. He glanced back to make sure he hadn't imagined Abby's car in the driveway. Between the stress at the club and home, Opie was sleeping less than usual so conjuring up something that wasn't there was entirely possible.

As he walked into the kitchen, he was met by the eyes of his wife and best friend who looked like they were in mid conversation. They both froze upon seeing him, making him raise his eyebrow. "Ladies," he greeted, walking to the fridge for a beer.

Turning around, the two were still rigid in place. Clearly, he had interrupted something and now he wanted to know what it was. He couldn't help but think it had to do with Donna's continuing concern of the club. With what happened to Juice, he had a feeling Abby was feeling something similar even though she had yet to confide in him about it.

Sliding into the seat across from Abby, he slid his hat off and shut his eyes. "Where are Kenny and Ellie?"

"Playing with the neighbor kids," Donna replied.

"Yeah, I went to Kenny's soccer game and planned on taking them for ice cream, but when they got that invite I was chopped liver," Abby chimed in with a laugh.

"Shit, I missed his game," Opie grumbled.

"Yes, you did," Donna responded coldly.

Ignoring his wife's icy stare, he looked at Abby. "It looked like I interrupted quite the conversation between the two of you." He watched as Abby began to spin her phone on the table, averting her eyes from him. "I sure as hell hope you do a better job of not giving things away when you're representing someone." He chuckled as her eyes finally met his.

Wringing her hands, she spoke. "With all the commotion when I got back a few weeks ago, there was something I didn't tell you."

"Are you pregnant?" he boomed.

"Hell no," she coughed. "That's all I need."

"Yeah, no shit." He sat back in the chair, crossing his hands in front of his chest and waited. Abby was shifting in her seat which had his mind swirling. If she wasn't pregnant, what could possibly be more shocking? "Spill it Abby," he prodded, wanting to move this along.

"Tara is moving back to Charming," she announced, taking a deep breath before sinking into the seat.

"Are you joking?" He watched as she shook her head. "Fuck." There was already enough going on with Jax. Between the club and trying to keep Wendy clean during pregnancy; which was proving to be difficult, the VP didn't need more upheaval.

"That's what Donna and I were talking about when you walked in," Abby whispered.

"Does anybody else know?" Opie asked. "Aside from Juice." He figured that was obvious that she would have shared the information with her beau.

"No. Jax and I are still on weird ground so I wasn't exactly sure how to say, oh by the way the girl that broke your heart will be returning to Charming by the end of the summer."

"Should probably be more tactful than that." He had to think about this. Jax definitely needed to know. The last thing any of them needed was for him to randomly run into Tara when she returned and then find out that his two best friends knew about it. Jax could be a loose cannon and that would surely be something that would set him off. "Let me mull this over. Hopefully, we'll be able to get to the bottom of why Gemma was run off the road and put that behind us. Then, we can tell Jax."

Abby nodded her head. "You're going to make me tell him, aren't you?"

He let out a loud laugh. "We can discuss that when the time comes." He would get her to tell Jax. The two of them had to work on their communication because it was definitely lacking; always had been, but Opie hoped at some point it would improve between Jax and Abby. "So, how's things with the computer geek?"

"You mean, is he treating me well?"

Opie let a half smile show before nodding. He was pleased when she answered with a yes and then provided him with information on how his recuperation had been since it was something that wasn't discussed much between the brothers.

Listening to Abby talk about Juice made her seem like a different person. Her green eyes were sparkling and her face glowed with every mention of his name. Opie had never seen her so excited about anyone before in all the years that he knew her. This was a side of Abby that he didn't think existed; she was in love.

Before he could say anything about her gushing, the kids blew into the kitchen like a tornado, talking excessively about the adventures they were having with the neighbor kids. Seeing his kids so excited about their day made him push all of his stress aside to marvel in the innocence of the two. There were times he wished he could go back to the days of his childhood where he, Jax and Abby behaved the exact same way as the Winston kids.  
________________________________________  
Staring at the ceiling while listening to Abby's breathing return to normal, Juice smiled. He had a follow up at the hospital about his shoulder, which was almost back to where it should be, and afterward snuck back to his apartment to meet Abby. Normally, their time together wasn't just for physical pleasure, but because of the craziness with the club and his shoulder rehabbing, the last six weeks hadn't allowed for much intimacy. They pretty much pounced on each other as soon as they stepped through the front door.

Stroking her hair as he gazed at the outline of her curves against the sheet, he felt so calm. Everything was so overly tense at the clubhouse since the accident that Juice always felt on high alert, making it difficult to relax. That morning, they found out some other information. Unser did a little digging after Gemma had been run off the road and found out that Darby was definitely trying to form some sort of alliance with the Mayans. When Clay made a delivery to LaRoy, he confirmed the word on the street was Darby wanted to be able to push drugs freely, but with the Sons blocking him from Charming he wasn't able to do that. Rumor was Darby was trying to prove himself to Alvarez in hopes that the Mayans would take over the guns then Alvarez would give him that free reign he was looking for. Unfortunately, ever since the crash both the Nords and Mayans had fallen off the radar.

He felt her roll over to face him; her hand meandering up his thigh caused him to stir. He pulled her on top of him, letting out a laugh as she squealed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tickled her lower back, continuing to chuckle as she squirmed beneath his grip. All the movement was really starting to rouse him. He squeezed her ass and pulled his hips up, letting her know that he was ready to have some more fun. He ran his hand down her chest as she began to position herself exactly where he wanted her. Just as round two was ready to begin, his phone rang.

"Shit," he yelled, hitting his hand on the mattress. He glanced at Abby who had rolled off of him, letting the sheet fall from her body leaving her completely exposed. "That's not going to help matters." He grabbed for his phone and answered with a huff. "Hello."  
"Juicy, is your appointment done yet?"

Sighing, he ran his hand over his head knowing there would be no round two for them. "Yeah, man, I had to run home to grab my phone. I was in such a hurry to get to my appointment, I walked out of my place without it."

"Okay, but get yer ass back to the clubhouse. Clay wants to meet."

"Walking out the door in five minutes," he answered, trying to sound like he wasn't just having sex. He didn't need a bunch of questions from his Scottish brother. He hung up the phone and looked at her giving him a come hither look. He sat up and grabbed her shoulders, bringing her mouth to his for a passionate kiss. "Why don't you just stay here?" he breathed, caressing her cheeks with his hands. "Then when I'm done, I can come back here to pick up where we left off."

She sat back and frowned. "I have to go in and help with inventory then I was going to do some studying at the diner." She paused and placed her hand on his chest. "I'm trying to stay on Bobby's good side so when we do tell him it might go over a little easier."

Juice loved how upbeat and positive she was being about the idea that her uncle might be okay with their relationship. Juice, on the other hand, wasn't so certain it would be so simple. He kissed her nose and looked into her sparkling green eyes. "How long are you going to stay at the diner?"

Abby shrugged her shoulders. "Probably nine or ten. If I go back to Bobby's my bed will be way too tempting; I got quite a workout this afternoon."

He smiled slightly, but felt a twinge of anxiety wash over him as she told him her plan for the evening. He took her hand and stared at her. "I don't like the idea of you being out that late by yourself."

"It's not that late. I'm at the diner until close some nights."

"Yeah, I know, but the fact that nobody has been held accountable for the crash has the club up in arms. Clay had been contemplating putting everyone on lockdown, but decided to wait for a bit."

She stroked his cheek. "I'll be fine. I'll keep my phone on me and let you know when I leave."

Taking both of her hands in his, he made a suggestion. "Why don't you park your car in the lot behind the diner? I'll meet you there at ten and we can come back here."

"If that makes you feel better," she answered, leaning in to kiss him.

He let his mouth linger for a few seconds before pulling back, placing his forehead against hers. "I hate leaving you."

"I know. Hopefully, this tension will diminish soon and we can let everyone in on our secret."

Juice hoped that he could adopt that positivity she was exuding before they dropped their bomb. He wanted to be able to continue having his growing relationship with Abby and his family with the club. He couldn't seem to squelch his worries that he might lose one of those things.  
________________________________________  
Abby glanced up at the clock behind the counter. It was close to ten which meant Juice would be in the parking lot soon. She glanced up as Katie came sauntering over with a steaming pot of coffee in her hand. Shaking her head, she smiled. "I think I'm done for the night Katie."

"It's early. I don't think I've known you to leave before close. Sick of studying?"

She snickered. "Something like that." Packing up her bags, she heard a familiar voice at the other end of the counter. Looking up, she saw Jake Darby had glanced her direction. With a wave, she greeted him. "Hey Jake, on your way to work?"

"Yeah, my boss called me in early because someone was sent home sick," he stopped and held up a fresh cup of coffee. "Had to stop and get my coffee fix. The people I work with don't know how to make a good pot to save their lives."

Standing up, she made her way toward where he was to head out the front door. "Bad coffee sucks."

"Don't I know it," he responded with a laugh, holding the door open for her. "How's the studying going?"

"It's going. The California bar has twice the information the Illinois one did so my brain is becoming bogged down with information."

He stopped in front of his truck and pointed at her ears. "Well, I don't see any smoke coming out of them yet so that's a plus."

"True, true," she chuckled. "Hope your night goes well Jake." She waved and turned toward the alcove that led to the back parking lot.

She had only managed one step when she heard him grumble "Oh shit." Abby turned to see him staring blankly into the driver side of his vehicle. Walking to the front of his truck, she called. "Something wrong?"

"I locked my damn keys in the car. My whole schedule is a little off since I got called in early. I clearly was in a hurry because there sits my cell phone on the passenger seat." He smacked his hand on his window. "Shit, my boss will kill me if I don't get my ass in there."

She took a few steps toward him, pulling her phone out of her bag. "Here, use mine to call your boss, I would hate for you to get into trouble."

"Ah, thanks Abby, you're the best."

Handing the phone out to him, she felt his hand as he touched her cell. As she began to pull her hand back, she felt his hand wrap around her wrist. "Jake?" she questioned, feeling her breathing begin to pick up speed.

"I'm sorry Abby" she heard him mumble as a van screeched to a halt beside his truck. Before she could let out a yell, Jake had pulled her into him, placing a rag across her mouth and an arm around her waist.

She was out before the van door closed behind the two of them.  
________________________________________  
Juice was pacing around his bike staring at his phone. It was ten twenty; twenty minutes past the time Abby was to be meeting him out back. He had been about five minutes late getting to the lot because he was finishing up some computer checks. When he saw she wasn't waiting, he figured she was engrossed in some studying and decided to give her some time, but now he was beginning to wonder if she forgot about their meet up. He knew she hadn't gone home because he saw her car in the copy shop parking lot as he cruised down the alley toward the diner. They tried to not be seen in public so he hated going in to pull her away from her books, but he was anxious to get back to what they had started earlier in the day.

"Screw it," he mumbled and took off down the walkway to the front of the diner.

The place was dead when he walked in as he scanned the area for signs of her. Seeing nothing, he made his way to the girl at the counter. "Um, excuse me, was there a curly haired girl here studying a bunch of law books?"

"Yeah, Abby," she began with a smile. "She packed up and walked out with Jake a little before nine."

"Jake?" Juice echoed, feeling his stomach to a flip.

"Sure sugar, Jake Darby," she replied.

Juice squeaked out a thanks before bolting out the front door; his head spinning with the information just given. Juice hadn't encountered any information about Jake in his digging into the Nord members so he figured he wasn't in Charming anymore, but now he was finding out otherwise.

He ran to the end of the sidewalk and scanned the area but saw no sign of her. Turning back, he decided to circle each parked car hoping to figure out what was going on. He was giving up hope when a sparkle on the ground caught his eye. Bending over, his stomach lurched as he got closer to where the glimmering was. The bracelet he bought Abby for Christmas shined up at him.

Trying to steady his shaking hand, he picked it up and noticed it had broken at the end which would indicate it had been ripped from her wrist. Juice's body went limp as he slid onto the road, grasping the bracelet in his hand. He tried desperately to catch his breath as the realization that Abby had been taken by Ernest Darby's nephew washed over him.


	25. Chapter 25

Opie leaned against the wall, bringing the bottle to his lips. It was getting close to eleven and he knew he should be making his way home, but the thought made him tense. He found himself hanging at the club later and later just to keep from arguing with Donna. He hated trying to juggle the two things he loved. He wished it was a hell of a lot easier.

He turned his attention to the door when he caught a glimpse of Juice coming into the clubhouse. Juice had slipped out over an hour ago without saying anything which meant he was meeting Abby so Opie couldn't help but wonder why he was here. Juice looked frantic. He began walking in Clay's direction then turned erratically back to the door. This went on several times until he froze in his spot, looking down at something in his hand.

Pushing himself off the wall, Opie moved in his direction. "Juice," he bellowed, stopping in front of him. Juice was fixated on what looked to be a bracelet in his hand. Placing his hands on Juice's shoulders, he watched his eyes snap up. They were filled with tears. Shaking him, he tried again, "Juice, what's wrong?"

"Abby, something's happened."

"What do you mean, something happened? What the hell are you talking about?" Opie questioned.

"We were going to meet in the parking lot of the diner, but when she didn't show I went looking for her," he paused, swallowing hard. "The waitress said she left with Jake Darby. When I went to look around, I found this; it's the bracelet I got her for Christmas," he stopped and sniffed hard, clearly trying to keep his emotions in check. "Jake took Abby."

"Holy shit," Opie choked, trying to keep a level head.

He felt Juice pull away from his grip, which had lightened up, to take a step in the direction of Clay and Bobby. With one quick motion, Opie grabbed his arm and jerked him back. "What are you doing?"

"We have to tell them," he blubbered.

Opie nodded in agreement. He knew they had to tell the club, but telling the others that Abby had been taken would expose the secret relationship. He caught sight of Jax heading toward the bar for a refill. "Jax," he called out, motioning for him to come over.  
Jax strutted in their direction. "What's up Ope?"

"Jake Darby took Abby," Opie announced. "Juice found her bracelet on the street after she didn't meet him in the parking lot. The waitress confirmed that they walked out of the diner together."

Running his hand through his hair, Jax muttered, "Ah shit." He pointed to where Clay, Bobby and Tig were smoking cigars. "We have to tell them. This isn't something the three of us can handle ourselves."

Opie nodded, he needed Jax to validate what they had to do. Turning to Juice whose face was completely expressionless, he placed his hands on Juice's shoulders and stared him straight in the eyes. "You have to be prepared for what might happen when this comes out."

"I just want Abby back," he mumbled.

Jax and Opie gave each other a nod before stepping in the direction of the others. Opie glanced over his shoulder to make sure Juice was behind them. He was in line with every step they took.

Stopping in front of the trio puffing away on cigars, Jax cleared his throat. "We have a problem Clay."

Clay blew out a sea of smoke and locked eyes with the VP. "What kind of problem?"

"We just found out that Jake Darby has Abby."

"WHAT?" Bobby screeched, almost dropping his cigar on the floor. Tig grabbed it from his grip and snuffed it out on the ash tray beside them.

"What do you mean he has Abby?" Clay asked gruffly.

Opie glanced at Juice, trying to will him to speak. Sure he could say something, but it would just bring more questions and eventually Juice would have to speak up. Time seemed to drag on so finally Opie decided to chime in. As he began to open his mouth, Juice stepped forward almost zombie like and began to answer the question.

"I was to be meeting her, but she was running late. When I went…" Juice was cut off by Bobby's hand up.

"Did you say you were meeting her? Why the hell were you meeting Abby?" Bobby asked, his voice growing increasingly irritated.

Watching Juice, Opie could feel his heart begin racing. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he was preparing himself for anything. He caught Jax's eyes which looked just as nervous as his. In unison, both men took a step forward so they were standing beside Juice.

"Abby and I have been dating since June," he answered calmly. There was no hint of nervousness or worry in his voice. It was if he accepted the fate that could potentially greet him upon unveiling the truth.

Bobby began pacing the floor, running his fingers through his curls while looking manic. He was mumbling to himself, but nobody could make out what he was saying. Everyone's eyes were fixated on him, waiting to see how this piece of information was going to impact him.

Finally Clay spoke up, taking charge. He pointed to Jax, Opie, Tig and Chibs. "Let's get back to the diner. Find something that can tell us where Jake took her." He paused, looking at Bobby. "Talk to the waitress at the diner and look around outside. Get plate numbers of cars in that area. Maybe we'll get lucky and can trace something to someone involved."

Opie nodded, taking a few steps behind his brothers to go fulfill their orders. He heard Juice behind him. "I want to go," he stammered. "I can't just…"

"No, I'm going," Bobby interrupted. "I want to make sure my niece gets back here safe and sound."

He pushed past a shaky Juice and threw the door open. Opie looked back at Juice. "Stay put. I'll call you if we find anything." He watched as Juice shook his head, tears glistening in his eyes as he walked backward until he sunk into one of the bar stools. They needed to get Abby back as soon as possible.  
________________________________________  
Juice sat on the bar stool staring into space for what seemed like forever. A couple of the guys that had stayed behind tried talking to him, but he couldn't recall anything they had said. It wasn't until Opie called him with a couple plate numbers to run that he began to function again. The last thing Opie said to him before hanging up danced in his head. "You need to pull yourself together Juice; for Abby."

Opie was right. He had to get his shit together and fast. The faster they could get Abby back, the more stable he would feel. The guys were on their way back and he had one piece of information for them based on the plates he ran through his system.

His eyes darted up as the door swung open. Bobby was storming toward him with a wild look in his eyes. He recoiled back, waiting for Bobby to hit him, but instead Bobby just stopped and barked. "Did you find anything?"

Shaking his head wildly, he averted his eyes from him and looked at the focused yet sympathetic eyes of Ope. "The plates on the truck gave me a hit. The truck belongs to George Decker," Juice paused, feeling Bobby's eyes drilling into him. "This George guy was in Stockton on drug related charges for selling with some of his fellow Nord brothers."

"Great, so we go out to where this George fellow lives and see what he knows," Chibs chimed in.

Shifting in his spot, Juice looked down at the paper he was holding. "Here's the problem; he's dead. He was killed during a fight in Stockton between the Nords and Guerillas."

"Ah shit," Jax exhaled.

Juice watched as Jax began pacing back and forth while Opie removed his hat looking enraged by this information. The only thing this information confirmed was that it was definitely the Nords who took her; which wasn't in question.

Clay spoke up, doing what he did best; giving orders. "Jax," he began. "You, Ope, Chibs and Bobby go out to where this guy lived. See if you can come up with something." He turned to Juice. "Tig, Juice, Hap and I are going to track down Laroy. Let's see if he's heard any talk about this newest development in the Nord/Mayan alliance." Clay looked Juice up and down. "You good?"

Juice nodded, swallowing hard. "I'm good." He continued to ignore the stare down Bobby was giving him. He couldn't believe that his fellow brother wasn't doing something to physically hurt him, but he had a feeling that at some point the shock would wear off and he needed to be prepared.

On the way to the parking lot, Jax brought something up. "Someone should call Gemma. She's gonna want to know what's going on."

Clay shook his head no. "It's after midnight. There's no reason to wake her and get her riled up. She isn't going to do anything except give everyone a headache."

Juice knew Gemma would want to know that something had happened to Abby. Abby was like a daughter to her; she cared deeply for Bobby's niece. He was half tempted to sneak off to give her a call, but he was already in deep shit with one of the senior club members, he didn't need the President bringing down his wrath.

Strapping on his helmet, he zoomed out of the parking lot with the rest of the crew; saying a silent prayer that they resolved this quickly with everyone in one piece.  
________________________________________  
Jax slammed the door to George Decker's house. They came up empty. The place had been cleaned out and what little bit that was left shared no information as to where Abby was. He lit a cigarette and shut his eyes, lifting his head up to where the moon shined on his face. Opie was still instead not willing to accept that there were no leads. Bobby had come outside some time ago and was leaning against his bike, head down, puffing away on a cigarette. He had barely said a word to anybody from the moment they got here. Chibs was trying to keep everyone focused and on track, but Jax knew he was probably doing that to keep himself together too.

Looking down at his phone, he knew he had to call Clay to let him know there was nothing here. He hoped that the other guys had tracked down Laroy or someone that could give them something to go on.

He began to stroll over toward Bobby to check on him when his phone rang. Stopping in his tracks, he looked at the number not recognizing it. He heard the door shut behind him as his other two brothers came onto the porch.

Waving the guys over, he answered the phone. "Yeah." There was silence on the other end. "Hello," he responded again with a little more force in his voice. He heard a little rustling in the background, but still nothing. "Okay, asshole, who is this?"

"Jax."

His heart skipped as he heard the muffled voice of a female on the other end. He heard his name uttered again and realized it was Abby. "Abby," he yelled. He ignored the three guys behind him as they began talking at the same time. He could feel Bobby practically standing up against him. "Abby, where are you?"

"Jax," she whimpered. "They want the guns."

"Who wants the guns?" he asked as he began to pace around in a circle. The guys moving in closer.

"The Nords. They want the guns," she sniffed hard, sounding as if she was trying to keep from breaking down. Jax could tell she was trying to be brave, but he imagined she was falling apart. "When?"

"In an hour. Someone will call you with details, but Jax," she paused, taking a deep breath. "If you don't get the guns, something will happen to me."

"Abby, we'll get this taken care of. Hold it together and trust me." He brushed away Bobby's hand as he tried to grab the phone. In the background, he heard what sounded like a bunch of dogs barking.

"Jax," she began again. "Can you tell Juice…"

He heard some rustling in the background as Abby shrieked and the phone went dead. He stood there for a few seconds frozen as the shrill pitch rang in his head. The two of them certainly had their share of ups and downs, but he loved her like a sister and this was tearing him a part.

"What the hell is going on?" Opie demanded.

"The Nords want the guns," Jax spoke, slamming the phone shut. "We have an hour." He finished as he stalked toward the bikes. They needed to get a hold of Clay and get back to the clubhouse to come up with a game plan; the clock was ticking.


	26. Chapter 26

It was pitch dark, but then again it was after two in the morning and they were surrounded by trees. The long lane looked like it disappeared into the sea of trees as the guys continued to trek toward the house in the distance. There was no noise between any of the guys as they stayed focused on the task at hand. The only sound was the occasional tree branch breaking beneath their feet.

Jax had called Clay after they got the call from Abby. Before they even hung up, he had Tig on the phone waking up a guy that knew all the dog breeders in the area. When Jax heard what sounded like a pack of dogs in the background, he thought it might be something worth investigating. They were looking for someone who had a lot of dogs; specifically a Nord that had a lot of dogs. One name came back to them; Zack Beck. Juice jumped on the computer and before Jax knew it, they were on their bikes zipping out of Charming toward Mr. Beck's house.

Even though it was the middle of the night, Chibs, Happy, Kozik and Half Sack kept watch at the end of the lane in case they were surprised by some other Nord members. As they approached the clearing where the house sat in the middle of the large yard, Clay motioned for Jax, Opie and Juice to head to the back of the house while he, Bobby and Tig circled the front.

Jax plowed ahead being careful with every step. He could barely see a thing, but his eyes were peeled for any movement or sign of Abby. Every now and then, he would glance back at the other two with him. Opie was practically on his heels, trudging along on a mission to get his best friend back. Normally, Jax didn't worry about Opie because he could handle himself, but this mission was different. This one hit a nerve. He had to make sure Opie didn't bust into the house and start blowing people away; that could get a lot of people hurt.

He glanced back at Juice who he felt, at times, was a wild card. Juice did what he was told, but Jax sometimes wondered if he was cut out for this way of life like the others and now that Juice was emotionally invested in this situation, it made Jax even more uneasy. Between watching where he was stepping and making sure Opie and Juice stayed in check, he was getting dizzy from swiveling his attention in three different directions.

There was a shed at the far corner of the backyard. Jax waved for Opie and Juice to check it out as he slipped around the side of the back porch. Quietly, he made his way up the steps, being careful to keep low in case there were people lurking around the windows. Sliding along the cold brick, he glanced in the first window to nothing but a dark bathroom. He could see Opie's shadow circling the shed as Juice tried the door. Jax had a feeling she was somewhere inside the house. Jax was prepared for the worst and keeping those two far away from the residence for the time being was the best thing for everyone; especially Abby.

Turning his attention back to the house, Jax ducked down to make his way to the next window where there was a flickering light coming from inside. Taking a deep breath, he glanced quickly into the clear glass. He caught his breath as he saw the disheveled curly hair of Abby hanging over the back of a wooden chair. Glancing around the rest of the room, he saw there was no one in there with her. His eyes made their way back to the figure on the chair. He felt his heart skip a beat as he noticed there was no movement coming from where she sat. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity hoping for some sort of sign that she was okay, but got nothing.

Putting his back against the brick again, he waved for the guys to come to the back porch. Once they approached, barely above a whisper, he began, "Abby is in the room over there," he stopped and motioned to the window he had just looked in. "It doesn't look like there's anyone in there with her, but who the hell knows who is standing guard."

He grabbed Opie's arm as he was about to charge through the back door. "Ope," he growled, watching as Opie froze in place then turned to face his friend. From the twinkling light coming from the window beside them, he could see the rage burning in his best friend's eye. Looking to the other side of Opie, he could see Juice frozen in place with a blank look on his face. "Juice," he whispered, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "Are you ready?" He watched as Juice shook his head yes robotically.

Jax moved his way to the door, slowly opening it before sliding inside. There was an overwhelming smell of stale beer and tobacco mixed with dogs wafting from the house. The scent hit him like a two ton brick, making him want to gag. The long, narrow hallway was clear as the trio moved stealthily toward the room he had seen Abby in. He could see the door where she was located He was surprised but relieved that there was nobody standing outside her room.

He knew there was nobody in the room with her so he pushed the door open and rushed inside with the other two close behind him. Abby was sitting in the middle of the room on the chair, gag in mouth, legs and hands tied to the chair. Her head was down, but the sound of the door opening caused it to snap up; a dazed look on her face. Jax made eye contact with her. Her eyes began darting around the room wildly as she struggled to move in the chair. She was mumbling something, but the tattered piece of fabric stuffed in her mouth was making the mumbling sound garbled.

Opie pushed past him to the chair. Jax wasn't about to stop him from getting her free, but someone needed to cover the door. Jax turned to Juice. He knew Juice was surely wanting to run to her side, but everyone had to stay focused on getting her and them the hell out of the house. "Stay at the door," he ordered, walking over to where Opie was cutting the ties loose from her. Jax pulled the gag down and looked at her eyes still darting all over.

"Jake and a couple guys went to the basement," she frantically said. "They're going to be back here any second."

Jax nodded as Opie pulled her up from the chair. "We're not waiting around for them darlin'," he answered with a chuckle.

He directed for Juice to head back into the hallway, putting Opie, who had Abby by the elbow, in front of him while he brought up the rear. Looking back over his shoulder, he didn't see any faces of any Nords so he followed the pace of the three in front of him.

As Jax saw Juice place his hand on the knob of the door, he heard footsteps hit the hallway. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. There was yelling behind him as the footsteps turned into quickened steps.

"Juice, take Abby and run," Jax yelled, grabbing Opie to head toward the men coming their direction. His fist met one of the guy's cheeks as he felt a sharp punch meet his gut. Opie was scuffling with the other guy as he heard his guy yell "Jake". Jax was knocked into the room they had just come from as he caught a glimpse of Jake Darby flying down the hallway to the back door.

Juice had Abby tight around the wrist as he stepped onto the porch, taking a quick look at the guys fighting in the hallway. As he looked at her grimacing he knew she had to be sore from being tied up and unable to move for hours, but they had to keep moving. He heard Jake's name being yelled by one of his Nord buddies. Juice looked at Abby. "I know you're tired, but we have to go now," he ordered. He stared in her eyes for a second wanting to just scoop her up in his arms, but Jake was going to hit the porch at any moment so showing her any affection would have to wait.

They ran toward the steps as he heard the back door fly open. The sound of their boots on the creaking wood came from every direction, disorienting Juice. As the pair reached the steps, he felt a jolt to the back of his head causing him to roll down the steps. Since he had a hold of Abby, she toppled down the steps with him, falling off the side of the steps onto the ground.

He rolled onto his back just as Jake leapt off the steps toward him. Struggling to get to his feet, he felt Jake's fist meet his chin knocking him back to the ground and leaving his head spinning. Jake floated above him like a ghost, but as hard as he tried he couldn't seem to get himself up, as he continued to get pummeled by the man straddling him. He was trying to see where Abby was, but couldn't catch his breath, let alone look for her. Luckily, just as Jake paused for a second, Juice was able to knock him in the jaw sending Jake backwards.

Pushing himself up, he stumbled backwards but quickly recovered, lunging toward the startled Nord. Ignoring the blood seeping into his mouth, he began to return the beat down that Jake had been giving him. The two rolled around the yard, Juice delivering more punches than Jake could get off. Just as he thought he had the upper hand, he caught sight of Abby curled up in a ball along the side of the porch steps. He was immobilized, focused on her in the fetal position. He was so fixated on her, he didn't see the right hand flying toward the side of his head. He fell back, looking up as Jake pulled a gun from somewhere on him. Juice couldn't see straight so he wasn't sure where it came from, but all he knew was it was now being pointed right at his head.

"I loved her first," Jake spoke clearly, eyes drilling into Juice's.

He put his hands up across his face, feet pushing wildly to back away from Jake, but that was stopped as Jake's knee dug into his ribs keeping him trapped. "Abby, I love you," Juice whispered, waiting for the shot.

A gunshot echoed into the distance as he heard a thud beside him. Juice thought he was still alive, but he blinked through the darkness a few times just to be sure. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, blood rushing to his ears, as his eyes darted to see Jake Darby lying face down beside him, bullet in the head. He shot his gaze back up to see a grim Opie standing just steps away from where Juice had pushed himself up on his elbows. Opie's stare was chilling, his eyes dark as he stared with no emotion at the dead body in the dirt.

"Ope!"

Juice glanced behind Opie's hulking figure to see Jax sprinting toward them. Opie snapped out of his daze and reached a hand out, helping Juice up. Brushing his pants off, Juice began to offer a thanks to his brother, but was cut off by the bearded man. "Go get Abby. Make sure she's alright."

Opie didn't have to say it twice as Juice dashed to where she was lying motionless. As he reached her, he heard the other guys come running from the front of the house, Clay yelling to Jax to see if everything was clear. He brushed her curls from her face. 

"Abby," he paused, watching as she twitched. "Abby, can you hear me. Please, please, be okay."

"Juice," she answered her voice raspy and straggled.

He felt a tear slip down his nose mixing with the blood that was still dripping into his mouth. "I'm here. Can you move?" He asked, watching as she shifted herself up onto an elbow, grimacing with every movement. She had a huge cut on the side of her forehead and she was reaching for her side.

With her free hand, she reached out and touched the side of his face. "I'm so glad to see you. I didn't think I'd see you again," she stuttered as she began sobbing.

Wrapping his arms around her, being careful not to touch her side until they got her checked out, he began stroking her hair. "I wasn't going to let anything happen to you because I…" He was cut off as he felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back from Abby. He looked up as Bobby wedged himself in between the two of them.

Watching with wide eyes, frozen in place, he saw Bobby help Abby to her feet. He was trying to hear what they were saying to each other, but there was talking going on behind him about disposing of the bodies that were strewn throughout the property which was keeping him from understanding what uncle and niece were saying.

Looking up as a hand touched his shoulder, he saw Jax and Opie staring down at him. "You did good," Jax spoke. "Let's get you stitched up."

Juice rose to his feet and stood beside his VP while Opie loomed behind them. The three watched as Bobby ushered Abby off toward where Half Sack was waiting with the van. Bobby put himself in a position that kept Juice from making any sort of eye contact with Abby. He felt like he had been kicked in the gut as he watched Bobby and Chibs help her into the van.

"It's okay brother," Jax spoke. "We'll make sure you get some time with her at the hospital."

Juice nodded slowly, sucking the tears back. He didn't want the rest of his brothers to see him getting emotional over the situation, but all he wanted to do was curl up and cry.  
________________________________________  
Abby groaned, gritting her teeth as she tried to position herself better in the bed. Bobby had finally left to go get a cup of coffee and a cigarette. They hadn't talked about what had just happened. In fact, Bobby had been strangely quiet and she was somewhat surprised. She figured that he was tired and still reeling from her being a victim of club business. She didn't blame him; she was still in shock over the course of the past six or so hours.

Finally finding a comfortable spot in the hospital bed, she shut her eyes trying to push out the images that kept flashing through her head. She couldn't remember everything that happened, but the events she did were so vivid it felt like it was still going on. She hoped that the pain medication the nurse just gave her kicked in soon because there was no way she was going to get any sleep without some help.

The soft light from the hallway hit her face causing her to squint. She opened one eye expecting to see Bobby had returned, but was surprised to see the face of Jax looking down at her with a crooked grin on his face.

"So, I guess we did manage to stick around long enough to greet those bastards," he said with a chuckle.

Abby snorted. "You know I've been involved with a lot of ridiculous shit with you and Opie, but this truly tops the cake."

Running a hand through his hair, he nodded. "Yeah, a kidnapping trumps all of those crazy ass things."

Those meds must have been kicking in because before Abby knew it she burst out laughing, getting louder as he joined her. There was just something insanely funny about the whole thing and she couldn't control herself.

Taking a deep breath while holding her side, she groaned and stared at the guy who was practically her brother. "Thank you for finding me."

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't know what to do without you being a pain in my ass." He smiled and leaned against the railing on the bed. "So, how's Bobby?"

Sinking into the pillows, she shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, I guess. He hasn't said much, but I'm sure he's not sure what to say. I was kidnapped by the Nords to get your guns so they can prove themselves to that Hispanic group that hates you guys; I'm thinking Uncle Bobby is at a loss for words."

"Among other things," Jax muttered.

"What does that mean?" She asked, watching as Jax's eyes grew wide. "Jax, what did you mean by that? There's something you're not telling me."

Clearing his throat, he sat down on the chair beside the bed. "Do you know how we found out that you were taken?"

"From my phone call," she answered.

"Not exactly," he replied. He began to open his mouth just as the door opened again. Glancing over his shoulder he was greeted by Opie and a solemn looking Juice.

"Someone wanted to see you," Opie announced. He walked over to the side of the bed with Juice in tow and looked at Abby with concern in his eye. "You alright?"

"I'm going to have a nice scar and the bruised ribs should get better each day. They want me to stay overnight to make sure I don't have a concussion." She looked past Opie to Juice who hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Reaching her hand out, she smiled as he grasped it quickly and tightly.

Jax spoke up. "So, Abby thinks we knew about her being taken from her phone call."

Opie slid his hat off and leaned against the wall. "Bobby hasn't said anything?"

Abby darted her eyes between Jax and Opie who were staring at Juice. "What am I missing?" She squeezed Juice's hand and looked him directly in the eye. "What is going on?"

"When you didn't show in the parking lot, I went to find you. I found out Jake had you. I got back to the clubhouse and told Opie then Jax then…" he trailed off. "I had to tell them."

Abby groaned and heard Juice say he was sorry for telling their secret. She couldn't be mad at him; he was concerned like a good boyfriend would be and he did what he thought was best. Juice wasn't like the others which was why she loved him. "It's okay," she paused and stroked his hand. "I'm not upset. It was going to come out eventually. I'm just surprised he hasn't said anything."

"No shit," Jax grunted. He stood up from the chair and walked over to Opie. "Let's go grab a smoke and head to the waiting room." He elbowed him in the ribs. "You know, let these two alone."

She smiled at Jax as he winked at her before disappearing in the hallway. She motioned for Opie to leave as he lingered at the doorway staring at her with the protective look in his eyes. She sighed, turning her attention back at the dark eyes of Juice. "So there was something that I wanted to discuss with you."

Sliding onto the bed with her, he cradled her in his arms. "What's that?"

"When we started this whole thing between us, I always figured there'd be two outcomes."

"Yeah, you stay or you go," he replied with a hint of sadness in his voice at the last option.

"Well, there's a third option," she stopped, taking a deep breath trying to ignore the stabbing pain from her side with the inhalation. "You could come with me." She listened to his breathing; slow and steady, waiting for him to say something. She had planned to talk to him about this the previous night while they were curled up in his apartment, but that didn't quite happen. Maybe it was the pain medication, but the hospital bed seemed to be the best possible place to bring it up.

Looking up at him, she laughed. "Are you still there?"

"What would that look like?" he questioned.

"I brought back a brochure from an outstanding college that has a great computer program. You could take classes toward computer and find a part time job as a mechanic while I start my job at the law firm." She nestled her cheek against his chest. "Abby and Juan Carlos take Chicago." She hoped that he would laugh at the last comment, but when he didn't respond she felt her heart sink.

"Abby, I don't think I could be anything other than a Son," he paused, swallowing hard. "It's all I know."

A flood of emotion hit her with that statement; mainly anger. Pushing herself up to face him, she could feel the blood rushing to her face. "You are more than a Son. You are the sweetest, most kindhearted, caring person I have ever met in this town. Why do you think I was attracted to you; because you aren't like all of them. You deserve to get a chance at a normal life with someone who loves you." She could feel the tears burning her eyes as she sucked them up. She smiled as he stroked her curls. She could see by the anguish in his eyes that he didn't believe what she said.

"I can't leave," he paused. "I'm sorry."

She felt a knot in her stomach as he slid off the bed and started to stand. Swiftly, she reached out and grabbed his forearm. "Then I'm staying."

"What?"

She sat up, placing her free hand on his chest. "I love you and I don't want to be away from you. If you don't feel you can leave then I'll stay."

She watched as a tear slipped from his eye. "Are you serious?" he asked, wiping the tear with back of his hand.

Nodding, she took his hand and kissed it. "As long as I'm with you I'm happy." A sense of contentment washed over her as he scooped her up in his arms, being careful to not aggravate her side, and kissed her passionately. After a few seconds, he helped her get comfortable in the bed and told her to get some rest. He was going to check in with the guys in the waiting room and would try to sneak back before he left.

XX  
Juice slipped out of the hospital room and ran his fingers over his head while placing his back against the wall. He was flooded with so many emotions. A few hours ago, he didn't think he'd ever see Abby again, but they found her and now she was telling him that she would stay in Charming just to be with him because he made her happy. He couldn't remember a time in his life that anyone said that about him. It felt completely unreal to him that anyone would want to give up their dreams to stay with him, but Abby proved him wrong. He had to convince himself he was worthy of all of this because he didn't want to sabotage the relationship that he desperately wanted to protect.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he pushed through the double doors and turned the corner toward the waiting room. He was exhausted and wanted to get some sleep in hopes that a few hours of rest would get his head back together.

He saw the guys milling around in the small area as he approached. He smiled as Opie walked toward him. Maybe after a got some solitude, he would talk to Opie about what just happened. He wanted some validation that this was for real.

"Did she pass out on you?" Opie asked with a chuckle.

With a small laugh, Juice nodded. "She was probably out cold before I reached the door."

Jax snorted. "I wish I had some of those drugs."

Juice began to open his mouth to make a goofy comment when he heard someone yell "You son of a bitch." As he turned to see where the loud footsteps were coming from, he felt a rush to the side of his skull as Bobby's fist connected with him. He fell backwards, barely missing the corner of the coffee table. He scrambled backwards as Bobby charged him, eyes blazing and curls flying wildly. Juice put his hands over his face, trying to shield himself from the fist coming toward him.

"Whoa, Bobby," Jax yelled, pulling the big man back as Opie tried to step in front of the stout club member.

"She isn't staying here, I heard what she said to you in her room," Bobby yelled forcefully. "Over my dead body will Abby stay in Charming."

Juice pulled himself to his feet and rubbed at the side of his head. "That's for Abby to decide," he grumbled.

Bobby freed himself from Jax as Opie stepped beside Juice. "What did you say?" he spat.

"That's for Abby to decide," Juice answered, voice steady and with conviction.

"Bastard," Bobby yelled, lunging forward. Juice jumped back as Opie grabbed Bobby, pushing him back as he continued to yell obscenities in Juice's direction.

"Hey!" Clay boomed, coming down the hall toward the waiting room with Chibs and Tig in tow. "I leave to talk to Chief Unser and all hell breaks loose." His eyes darted between the four guys standing in the waiting room. "Everyone needs to get the hell home and cool off. Get your heads on straight and deal with this later."

Juice watched as Bobby eased back toward Clay, not taking his eyes off of the young man. Exhaling deeply as the older man finally turned and left, he fell into one of the chair.

"Man, I thought I rocked the fucking boat with my news," Jax chuckled.

Opie looked down at Juice with sympathy in his eyes. "Get some sleep. Bobby will cool off and things will be back to normal."

Juice nodded as everyone left him alone with his thoughts in the waiting room. If only that statement was so simple.


	27. Chapter 27

Abby sat on the edge of the hospital bed staring at the clothes in a heap on one of the chairs. As she continued to gaze at them, she felt sick in her stomach. She had absolutely no desire to put that ensemble back on. Just looking at them brought back images from what had gone down with the Nords, the Sons and her. She wanted to burn them and go home in the lovely hospital gown on her body.

Bobby hadn't returned the past evening, which wasn't surprising after finding out he knew about the relationship between her and Juice. She wished he had come back to the room because she would have begged him to grab a different outfit for her. Sighing, she pushed herself up to stand, gripping the rails of the bed to steady her wobbly legs.

Taking a few steps in the direction of the pile screaming back at her, she heard the creak of the hospital door. Turning her attention toward the sound, she saw the somber face of Gemma.

"What the hell are you doing out of bed?" she barked, setting the bag she was carrying down on the floor. She grabbed Abby's arm and led her to sit down.

"I'm going home today," Abby mumbled, watching as Gemma went over to where her stuff was.

"That's why I'm here," Gemma answered, taking the pile in her arms, walking to the trashcan and throwing the clothes inside. Turning, she brushed her hands off and grabbed the bag from the floor. "New clothes," she paused and held up the new outfit. "There's no need for that shit in the trashcan."

Abby let out a sigh of relief. She could always count on Gemma to take care of her. She smiled as Gemma came over with a button down shirt. "I thought this shirt would be best to keep from hurting those ribs." She let Gemma help her get the gown off and put the shirt on her. Gemma handled her with such care, like a mother would with a child. "I can't believe nobody thought to call me when all this shit went down."

"Obviously, I had no control over that," Abby responded with a snort.

Gemma took a brush and began to comb out the knots in Abby's curls. "I know that baby," she cooed. "So, why didn't you tell me about Juice?"

Groaning, Abby looked up at the concerned look in Gemma's eyes. "I didn't want you to start planning a wedding for me?"

Placing a hand on her hip, Gemma locked eyes with her. "Would I do that?"

Laughing loudly, Abby replied, "Do you really want me to answer that?" She chuckled as Gemma lightly smacked her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you Gem." Letting her head fall forward, she could feel tears forming as Gemma wrapped her arms around Abby's shoulder.

"It's okay sweetheart," Gemma whispered, stroking her curls.

Abby felt her body calm as she let Gemma mother her. "Bobby's really pissed isn't he?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

"He'll get over it," Gemma responded. Her grip eased up as Abby pulled back from her, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Do you know what you're going to do?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Abby took Gemma's outstretched hand and stood up. "I'm staying in Charming," she retorted with conviction in her voice.

"As long as you're staying for yourself and not just for the man," Gemma replied with a strict tone.

Brushing off Gemma's advice, Abby looked around the room making sure there was nothing she actually wanted to take with her. "Where am I recouping at?"

Gemma opened the door and smiled. "At my house. Clay wants everyone to be careful for a few days to make sure there isn't major blowback from what happened. He's keeping Kozik at the house with us so you have nothing to worry about."

Gemma kissed her on the forehead and headed toward the nurse's desk to sign her out. She was relieved to hear that she wasn't going back to Bobby's. She needed to get her head together before she faced her uncle because she knew their first interaction would be heated.  
________________________________________  
Abby settled into the bed, feeling secure wrapped in the thick comforter. This bedroom brought back so many happy memories from her time growing up in Charming. She spent more time in this bedroom than the one at her uncle's.

Gemma had brought her a tray with some hot tea, homemade chicken and rice soup plus all the magazines she could think of. No matter what people said about Gemma Teller-Morrow, she was nothing but an amazing mother figure to Abby.

She snuggled down even further into the bed, ignoring the light tap coming from the door. All she wanted to do was sleep and not think about the last couple days or her uncle.

Groaning as she heard the door open, she peered out from under the covers. Jax sauntered into the room with Opie closely behind him. She pulled the comforter back over her head and tried to pretend they weren't in the room.

She heard the low chuckle of Opie coming from the end of her bed. "Nice try Abby, but we saw you were awake."

Poking her head out, she rolled her eyes. "I should have known that I wouldn't be able to be in complete peace here."

Jax snorted. "This is my ma's house, I've never known there to be complete peace here."

Pushing herself up on her elbows, she pushed her curls back from her face causing her to grimace as her muscles along her bruised ribs stretched. She caught Opie's eye and could see the concern oozing from his stare. "So, what's up guys?" She paused. "If you're here to talk about what went on, I'd rather not."

Opie plopped down at the end of the bed and smacked her foot. "You have to talk about it sometime Abby," he responded with a groan.

"What's there to talk about? I was kidnapped, had to be rescued by the Sons, you killed Jake Darby and I ended up with some minor injuries," she paused. "Oh and my uncle is pissed because I'm dating Juice Ortiz. Did I forget anything?" She watched as Jax and Opie exchanged glances. "What, not the right response?"

Jax slumped down in the chair and looked at her. "Listen, that stuff with the Nords is our shit, but this stuff with Juice and Bobby, that effects everybody."

She shifted in her bed. She knew that there was going to be some tension between the two Sons now that everything was out in the open and she would have to be the one to smooth things over, but deep down she hoped it would just fix itself.

"You need to talk to Bobby," Opie piped up with a scolding tone in his voice.

Throwing her hands up, she yelled, "Yes, I know, I need to talk to Bobby. Shit, can't I just recover from the last few days?"

Silence filled the air as the three sat frozen in place. She felt bad for yelling at the two guys that had been her friends and protectors her whole life, but the stress of everything was taking its toll on her. Clearing her throat, she spoke barely above a whisper, "I don't know what to tell him."

"You tell him the truth," Jax answered. "Do you know what you're going to do?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she flopped back on the plush pillows. "Juice won't leave Charming. He won't leave this family so I'm staying here. I can take the bar for California and find a job nearby or I'll just do something else." Shutting her eyes, she continued.   
"Everybody I care about is here or will be returning so there's no need…"

"What?" Jax probed.

Opening one eye, she locked in on Opie's gaze realizing what she had just said. "These pain meds are bullshit," she grumbled. Had she had her wits about her, this wouldn't be the way she told Jax about Tara returning.

"Abby, what the hell did that mean?" Jax asked again, this time with force behind it.

"So, when I was in Chicago," Abby paused, continuing to watch Opie's expression. His eyes were glued on her, prodding her to continue. "Tara told me that she is coming back to Charming this summer." The words rolled off her tongue a lot easier than she thought, but the twinge in her stomach was making her feel sick.

Watching as Jax shot up from his seat, she pulled her knees up as far as she could before she felt pain from her ribs. She felt like she should say something, but her mind was blank. Opie had taken his eyes off of her and was now following Jax's movement around the room.

Jax spun around on his heel and looked at her. "You need to talk to Bobby soon. The Nords are quiet right now, but at some point they're gonna come at us again. We need to be solid."

She nodded as she followed his figure as it disappeared into the hallway. "Shit," she moaned, pulling the blankets above her head. "That is not how I wanted him to find out."

Glancing up as Opie pulled the covers back to look down at her. "He'll be fine. You know Jax, he just needs to brood for a while." He stepped back, looking at her with concern in his eye. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine." She shut her eyes, as she listened to him stalk out of the room, shutting the door with some force.

She knew Opie wanted her to say more than that, but she just couldn't talk at that moment. She just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. It was the only way she could get herself in a better place of clarity to handle her relationship with Juice and her uncle.  
________________________________________  
Beginning of May

Juice climbed the steps to his apartment, throwing his cigarette stub over the railing. It was almost eight o'clock and he was exhausted. Things were still fairly quiet within the club with very little blow back from what had happened a few weeks prior. He was just exhausted because the internal tension was thick.

After Abby spent a week at Gemma's recuperating, she went to talk with Bobby. Their conversation proved to not be very productive. He was still mad as hell for all the secrets she had kept from him. He reminded her of the promise he made to his brother in regards to her future. She remained calm, told him what her intentions were and he told her that she could stay somewhere else if those were her plans. Juice received a hysterical phone call as soon as she left Bobby's house. Since then, she had been spending most of her time at his place with an occasional night or two at Gemma's.

Jax and Opie were trying to keep Juice out of Bobby's way, but when they were gathered around the reaper table, he could feel Bobby's eyes burning a hole into him. Despite the rift, he was happy that he still had the club, everyone else could care less about his relationship, and he had Abby. He loved coming back to the apartment to find her smiling face.

As he pulled out his keys, he could smell food, but there weren't any restaurants near his place. Pushing the door open, he froze when he saw the tiny table he used for dining one was set up for dinner. There were two places set, candles lit and a small vase of flowers in the middle.

Shutting the door, his nose followed the delicious smell that was coming from his small kitchen. "What is going on in here?" he asked, surprised. He made his way to where Abby was pulling something out from the oven.

"I made dinner," she replied, beaming from ear to ear.

"I can see that," he answered, kissing her firmly on the lips. "Wow, this is amazing." He wrapped his arms around her while surveying the mashed potatoes in a bowl, a roasted chicken sitting on top of the stove and a huge salad sitting off to the side of that. "What's the occasion?"

She pulled back, still smiling brightly. "It's been a year since we first met. I thought I'd celebrate by practicing my cooking skills." She bounced over to the stove and opened it.

He watched curiously as she giggled, pulling out something from inside. She stepped to the side with a 'ta dah' as he stood gazing at what was sitting in front of him. She made a cherry pie which floored him.

"I know you said it was your favorite. I highly doubt it will be as good as your grandmothers, but I wanted to give it a whirl."

He scooped her up, kissing her passionately. He pulled back and smiled brightly at her. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Well, you deserve it," she complimented, kissing his check then grabbing his hand to pull him toward the table.

Plopping down at the table, he gawked at her as she practically skipped back into the kitchen to get their plates together. He stared at the candle flickering in front of him, wondering what he did to earn all of this. He felt completely at ease having her here in his apartment and he was realizing this was something he really wanted to be permanent in his life.  
________________________________________  
Abby opened an eye to see Juice moving around the room. She couldn't help but smile as he made his way into the kitchen to serve himself a piece of the cherry pie for breakfast. Their night had been a huge success. Her meal turned out much better than she thought. Afterwards, they lounged around on the couch, listening to music and talking. She was pleasantly surprised when Juice truly opened up about his family in New York. She had heard bits and pieces over the last year, but last night he let the wall down to tell her about what his life was like. It hadn't been a terrible life, but it wasn't as stable as hers had been upon coming to Charming. He talked a lot about not knowing his father and how he would come up with all these fantasies about what it would be like to meet him. He told her that if he were to ever have a kid, he would do things better than his father had.

After they talked, she suggested a shower which led into a lot of fun before falling asleep curled up in bed. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized staying in Charming was the right decision.

He came back into the room, kissing her on top of the head before plopping down on the edge of the bed. "I have to head into TM to take care of some inspections," he began. "Do you have to work today?"

"Not today. I think I'm going to Oakland for some shopping."

"You're a shopping addict you know that," he replied with a chuckle. He grabbed his sweatshirt as he stood up. "I made coffee."

She watched as he walked to the dresser to grab his wallet, tripping over one of her bags that was lying in front of the piece of furniture. Clearing her throat, she spoke. "So, what would you think about letting me put some of my things in one of those drawers?" Even though she had a set of keys and was at his house about seventy five percent of the time, they never discussed her moving some of her things into his space. Instead, she drug a bag back and forth. She always made sure to go to her uncle's when he wasn't there to get new stuff before heading back to his place.

"You want to have a drawer of your own, huh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded, swallowing hard as she tried to read his face. She couldn't speak because she was too nervous awaiting a response. She watched as he moved back to the bed, cupping her face in his hands. She stared at the sparkle in his dark brown eyes.

"I would love having your stuff with mine." He kissed her then turned toward the door, saying goodbye as he disappeared out of the apartment.

Stretching out as a smile crept over her face, she relished in this moment. All of the tension from her uncle just seemed to disappear. After a few minutes, she decided that she would go ahead and put those things in her bag in the dresser.  
Pulling the drawers open, she chuckled to herself at how scarce they were. She could easily merge two drawers together to give her one for some of her things.

Grabbing a few of his sweatshirts, she moved them to the top drawer where his t-shirts were. Scooping up the last couple hoodies, she froze as she stared into the dresser. It was now empty except for one item sitting at the bottom.

Plopping down on the bed, she stared at the black, velvet box in her hand. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest as she slowly opened the top of it. She pulled her hand back and felt immobilized as she stared back at the diamond glistening back at her. The silver band wrapped around it was glittering in the light trickling in from the window. It was gorgeous. Her heart continued to pound as she continued to stay fixated on the ring.

Abby snapped out of her daze and reached for her phone. She would call the only person she could think to call at a time like this. She needed someone to give her some clarity at the prospect of becoming engaged to Juan Carlos Ortiz.


	28. Chapter 28

June

The crickets were chirping in the background as Abby leaned against the railing, watching the road, jumping every time she saw headlights. She had been standing outside Juice's apartment for twenty minutes, hoping he would make his way back there soon. 

The two had barely seen each other over the last week. There was a lot going on with the club, so he'd been back and forth on 'business.' Bobby was staying at the club most nights, so she went back to his house to stay in order to keep studying for the California bar exam. Juice had talked to her earlier in the evening and said he was going to come back to his place for the night, so she rushed right over.

Since Bobby had found out about their relationship, things had become awkward between Juice and Abby. Abby pretended like she was fine since the kidnapping, but that was far from the truth. Living in Charming, she rarely locked her car doors and would sometimes find that she forgot to lock the doors in the house. That wasn't the case now. Now, she found herself checking the locks in the house several times a night and the first thing she did when getting in and out of her car was lock the doors. Opie called to check on her several times a day and even Jax was popping up more than normal. Bobby was barely talking to her, but when he did it, she could tell his voice had less anger in it and more concern. Juice had tried to talk to her about it a few times, but she brushed it off. Despite what had happened, she was still one hundred percent committed to staying in Charming to be with Juice. Tara would be back in a few weeks which soothed some of Abby's negative feelings about the choice she made.

As she stared up at the dark, clear sky, she heard a motorcycle approach. She plastered a smile on her face and took a few steps in Juice's directions. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest, taking in his scent. Bringing her eyes back to his, she smiled. "Why do I feel like I haven't seen you?"

He chuckled, brushing her curls out of her face. He kissed her forehead and answered, "Because you haven't. I'm hoping this doesn't become a pattern. Things have been wild."

Abby took his hands in hers. "No matter, let's put all of that behind us and focus on our time together." She pulled him toward the stairs leading up to his apartment, putting all thoughts of the mess that was the Sons of Anarchy out of her mind.

She rolled over, watching as Juice stepped outside to smoke and check in with the guys. Sighing, she flopped back down on the pillow and began flipping through the channels on the television. After ordering Chinese food, they had been dozing on and off while a baseball game played in the background. For the most part she felt at ease, but there was this underlying feeling of unease too. Juice had been a lot quieter this evening. When Abby asked, he chalked it up to not getting a lot of sleep lately. Part of her wanted to ask what was going on with The Nords and Mayans but thinking about the feud happening right now turned her stomach. She always knew the people she cared about the most were always putting themselves at risk of terrible consequences but having something happen to her really made that seem more realistic.

As Juice stepped back inside, Abby smiled and pointed to the television. "You caught me; I turned off the game to watch Sex and the City."

He slid into the bed and laughed. "Are you taking over the television?" He wrapped his arm around her and tickled her side as he playfully tried to get the remote from her. They agreed on The Waterboy as they settled into the plethora of pillows and thick comforters on Juice's bed.

Abby could feel herself drifting off as Juice snickered a little at the movie. Sleep was difficult for her lately. She would try to drift off and would find herself going over the bar stuff in her head or she would see flashes of the events of the night when the Sons saved her from the Nords. Finally, she found herself relaxed enough that nothing was going through her head and she could get some decent sleep.

"Abby," Juice whispered.

"Hmm," she managed to get out.

He cleared his throat. "Abby, I've been thinking. Maybe you should leave Charming for a while."

Abby could feel her body tense up as his words echoed in her ear. She shot up and looked at him. "What?" She stared at him, watching his eyes get wide and as he began to shift around in his seat.

"Abby, um, I just thought…" he trailed off and rubbed the top of his head. "I was just thinking that maybe it's a good idea for you to go to Chicago for a while. You know, just until things blow over with the Mayans and Nords."

Abby shifted herself up to a seated position, keeping her eyes on Juice. "First, I can't just join the law firm in Chicago and then abruptly leave when things blow over. Second, with the Sons, once one thing blows over there's something else that takes its place. It's never ending."

Juice shot out of the bed and grabbed his cigarettes. "I'm just trying to protect you. I don't want anything to happen to you and the only way to guarantee that is for you to go to Chicago for a bit." He turned and headed for the door. As he opened the front door, he heard Abby call behind him. "Then you can come with me."

With a sigh, he looked over his shoulder. "It's not that simple, Abby."

"No, Juice, it really is that simple. We can go to Chicago and then neither one of us has to worry about anything happening to the other. We can start a new life together, without any of this bullshit."

Juice let his head flop down as he let out another sigh. "Abby, I love you and I want to be with you, but I'm nothing more than a criminal thug. I don't know how to be anything else."

She watched as he shut the door behind him. The words 'criminal thug' rang in her head. Those were the same words that Jax used when describing the club members and why Juice moving to Chicago to live a 'normal' life with her wouldn't work. She groaned into the pillow. The last thing she wanted was for Juice to put himself in the same category Jax had placed himself in. She wanted a different ending for her and Juice. She wasn't going to leave Charming until he was right beside her.  
XX  
Opie pulled into Bobby's driveway and shut off his bike. He stalked across the driveway and to the backyard. Ever since the showdown with the Nords resulting with Abby in the hospital and Jake Darby in a body bag, Opie had made it a point to check on Abby several times a day by phone then at some point in person. What happened to her had rattled him. Not only was Abby the closest thing to a sister as he could get, it reminded him that even if Donna wasn't a continuous fixture within the club, something could happen to her and the kids at any given moment. Donna didn't say much about the situation with Abby. He figured it was because she had given up on beating a dead horse, but he could feel that she was even more distant in their marriage. Abby was really the only person Donna made a point to keep in touch with and other than that, she threw herself into the kids.

He rounded the side porch and stepped into the backyard. Abby was sitting in the middle of the yard, stretched out on a blanket, staring up the night sky. "You're not asleep, are you?" he asked gruffly as he approached her.

"Nah," she answered, not looking away from the star she was fixated on.

He grabbed a chair from the porch and plopped it down beside her blanket. He watched as she raised her head up and looked at him. "Are you too good for sitting on the blanket with me?"

He chuckled. "I don't want to get dirty."

She laid her head back down and went back to staring at the sky. "You know, you don't have to keep coming by to make sure I'm not curled up in a corner somewhere."

"Maybe I enjoy your awesome company," he joked, kicking her with his foot.

"You know Tara will be back in two months," Abby remarked. "What do you think Jax is going to do?"

Opie groaned and stretched his legs out in front of him while crossing his arms around his chest. "Self-destruct," he answered. "He's pretty sure that Wendy is still using so that has him on edge all of the time. He can't prove it because he's been so wrapped up with the club, he hasn't been able to keep tabs on her. Tara is just going to add another layer of shit to his life."

"Well, I don't think Tara is too excited about coming back. For starters, she has to deal with her father's estate. I'm sure you remember how tumultuous their relationship was." She stopped and heard Opie grumble, "yep." "Second, she certainly won't admit it, but she's still in love with Jax, so bumping into him isn't going to be easy on her. I'm glad I'll be here to help her out."

Hearing her say that caused Opie to sit up, leaning forward on his knees. "So, you haven't changed your mind about leaving?" He watched her as the faint light from the kitchen window gave just enough that he could see her shake her head no.

"He won't leave so I'm staying here," she muttered, not moving from the spot she had been in since he showed up. "I'm not changing my career path just where I'm doing it. It might not be what Bobby wants or what my father wanted, but I'm not a child anymore. When you love someone, you make sacrifices. That's what I'm doing."

Opie flopped back in his seat, her words swirling in his head. It was no secret that Donna was making sacrifices for him. Donna hated the club. She spent every day worrying about him and had mentioned on more than one occasion, what would happen to the three of them if something happened to him. He always blew her off because being the tough guy that he was, nothing would happen to him, but more and more he was starting to realize something could happen to any of the them at any given minute. Did he really want to keep doing this to his family? He stood up. "I'm going to head out." He thought she said goodbye, but he couldn't say for sure. He was too busy thinking about going home to spend some quality time with his family.  
XX  
Juice sat at the computer, staring at the screen, but he wasn't actually doing any work. After reading the same two sentences repeatedly, he had given up, but needed to appear as if he was doing something. He didn't want any of the guys asking him any questions as to his demeanor. The discovery of his relationship had finally blown over. Sure, Bobby still wasn't talking to him, but he wasn't giving him death stares whenever they were in each other's presence, so Juice considered that progress.

He glanced up at the clock and saw it was almost eleven. He hadn't seen Abby since the topic of her leaving Charming came up. June was coming to an end. Abby would be heading to San Diego soon after the Fourth of July to take the California bar exam. The law firm she was going to be joining in Chicago had a small office in Oakland so she would be working there once she passed the bar exam. Juice knew he should be ecstatic about her decision to stay in Charming to be with him. He couldn't remember the last time someone who wasn't involved with the Sons had made such a sacrifice, but no matter what, he couldn't shake the sick feeling about her decision. He loved Abby more than anything. He knew being patched in would always put him at risk but putting someone he loved at risk wasn't something he had to ever think about until Abby. It wasn't until she had been kidnapped by the Nords that he realized the dangers the club put her in. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her. Not to mention, Bobby would kill him with his bare hands if she was ever put into danger again. He didn't have the heart to break up with her. For starters, he didn't think he could even verbalize anything of that nature to her and make it believable. He didn't know what to do to keep her safe.

Pushing his chair back, he made his way over to the bar to grab a beer. He popped open the top of his Miller Light and plopped down on the bar stool. Most of the guys had left, but Clay, Bobby, and Jax were sitting around the reaper table surely discussing how to get in the middle of the Nords and Mayan alliance. He saw Jax stalk out of room, nodding at Juice as he disappeared into the parking lot. Juice knew Jax had a lot on his mind with Wendy being pregnant and Tara soon to return to Charming, but it didn't deter from his responsibilities with the Sons. Juice was trying to pull from Jax's ability to keep personal life and Sons life separate, but he felt like he wasn't doing a great job of that.

As he turned his attention back around, he felt his heart pick up the pace as he saw Bobby steps ahead of him. He was approaching Juice with a stern look on his face. Swallowing, Juice took a swig of his beer, trying to look unfazed by his presence.

"Juice," Bobby said gruffly as he sidled up to the bar.

"Hey, Bobby, what's up?" Juice asked, trying to push all nervousness out of his voice.

Bobby cleared his throat. "So, I owe you an apology."

Juice stood up taller, noticing that Clay was pulling a stool up to the bar next to Bobby. "What do you mean?' Juice asked.

"Shit don't be stupid, Juice," Bobby spat. "You know why I'm apologizing. Maybe I've been a little too harsh on you and Abby. Everything I've done has been to protect Abby and keep her far away from this lifestyle, but she is a grown adult, so I need to let her make her own decisions."

Juice rubbed the top of his head, his eyes growing wider at this unforeseen apology. "Wow, Bobby, I don't know what to say. You know I didn't do this to upset anyone. Abby insisted we not tell anyone because she didn't want to cause any problems within the club. Neither one of us wanted that."

Bobby shook his head. "I know, I know. Abby can be somewhat hardheaded so it's hard to convince her to change her mind on some things."

He must have let out a laugh because he heard Clay ask, "What was that for, Juice?"

Juice glanced at Clay and then back at Bobby. "I told Abby that she should leave Charming," he blurted out. He watched as Bobby raised his eyebrow and looked at Clay.

"Really?" Clay asked, continuing to lock eyes with Bobby before turning to Juice.

"Ever since the shit with Jake Darby and the Nords, I have been unsure about her staying here. I don't want anything to happen to her again, but she is determined to stay put." He shifted his eyes between the two guys who were watching him intently. "I love Abby more than anything and want to protect her. The best way to do that is to send her to Chicago like she planned, but she isn't hearing it." He took a swig from the beer bottle and let his head fall. He couldn't believe he was divulging this to Clay and Bobby, but it just came out. He could talk to Opie, but Opie would just back Abby even if he thought she was making the wrong decision. Jax was too caught up in his own personal drama that he couldn't talk to him and Gemma didn't want Abby leaving. Bobby was the only person he could talk to about this.

"Juice," Bobby began, lowering his voice. "I'm glad you're telling me this. I can tell that you really love Abby and you want the same thing I do, to keep her protected." He stopped and looked at Clay.

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get Abby to leave?" Clay asked, tapping his fingers on the bar.

Juice shook his head "yes." Even though his stomach was churning because he had a feeling he wasn't going to like what was going to be purposed to him, he knew he had to do something to keep Abby safe. He locked eyes with Clay and asked, "What should we do?"


	29. Chapter 29

Opie lit his cigarette and stared at the lights blazing from the inside of the clubhouse. For a second, he had the urge to jump back on his bike and go home to be with his family, but he couldn't do that. For starters, it was Tig's birthday, and you don't miss a party for a fellow brother. He tried to explain that to Donna as they fought over him disappearing for the evening, but as always it didn't register with her.

He saw Abby's car parked cockeyed in the parking lot which indicated she had begun the party before arriving. He secretly had hoped she would just stay at home, but he knew that was wishful thinking. Ever since the kidnapping, Abby wasn't herself. Then again, who could blame her. For Opie and all of his brothers, shit like that was second nature, but for someone like Abby, it wasn't. Even though she was staying in Charming, Opie knew she really wanted Juice to leave so they could start fresh in Chicago. Juice was too scared to do that, so she was staying for him. He knew it was causing a rift between them especially since Donna told him that Juice hadn't talked to Abby in two days.

He pushed the front door open and groaned. Things were already out of control and he just wasn't in the mood. Looking down at the whiskey he brought to give to the birthday boy, he mumbled 'fuck it' and opened it quickly to take a long swig from the bottle.

Scanning the room, he saw his dad sitting at the end of the bar with a bottle of tequila in his hand while chatting up a blonde. Tig was in the middle of the room getting a lap dance by a brunette and a massage from another one. The other guys were partaking in some of the same stuff which wasn't surprising.

Opie brought his eyes back across the room and stopped when he saw a mane of straight jet-black hair that looked oddly familiar. Taking a few steps closer to get a better look, he felt his blood begin to boil. "What the fuck?" He gripped the bottle of whiskey tightly, bringing it to his lips, grimacing as it burned going down.

Across the room was Jessie Phillips with her limbs wrapped around Juice as they did their version of dancing to the music blaring across the speakers. He began to make his way to where this charade was happening. He didn't give a shit that this was Tig's birthday party, he was going to break this up even if it resulted in a little bit of blood.

As he made his way to the middle of the floor, Jax intercepted him, pulling him to the side of the room.

"Dude, I really fucked something up," Jax nervously began, eyes darting wildly.

"I don't have time for your Wendy drama," Opie growled. "I need to go knock some sense into Juan Carlos Ortiz." Opie took a step away from Jax but was pulled back by his childhood friend.

"Yeah, I think I fucking did that."

Opie turned to face Jax as he watched Jax recoil back. "What do you mean you think you did that?"

Jax fumbled to light a cigarette as he brought his eyes up to the blazing dark ones in front of him. "I was having a meeting with Clay and Bobby a couple days ago about Darby. Somehow, we started bullshitting about some of the girls that had been coming around. Clay asked about Jessie, saying that Tig really had a thing for her and could Wendy invite her to come to the party as a birthday gift to Tig."

Opie shoved Jax against the wall, the cigarette falling out of Jax's hand. "Did it occur to you that Abby and Jessie hate each other?" He watched as Jax began to open his mouth, but he cut him off. "Or that Bobby wants Abby to leave Charming and would do whatever to get her the hell out of here?"

"Dude, Bobby was sitting there doing paperwork not really paying attention to what Clay was saying. Not to mention, she's not Clay's niece so no it didn't fucking dawn on me that this was some setup."

Opie eased up on his grip and let Jax go. He could see in Jax's eyes that he was telling the truth. Slowly, the duo turned to look at the show being put on between Juice and Jessie. "So, answer me this, why the hell is Juice all over her?" Jax asked, lighting another cigarette. "I realize that they wanted Jessie here to add to the reasons for Abby to leave, but this makes me think that Juice is…"

Opie could feel Jax's gaze turn to face him as he nodded. "In on it too."

"Ah fuck," Jax mumbled. "I feel like such an asshole. Seeing Juice with the one person Abby hates would be just the thing to get her to leave Juice and Charming."

The guys stood there motionless both trying to decide the best course of action. Opie spoke first. "Alright, one of us should try to get Jessie away from Juice to talk to him and one of us needs to find Abby."

"I'll take Juice," Jax chirped. "Last I saw Abby, she was at the bar doing shots of tequila with your Pop. Sometimes drunk Abby is fine, but not if she's pissed off. You're the only one that she listens to when she's fucked up."

Opie groaned as Jax sauntered away into the crowd of people filling the clubhouse. "Sorry Tig," he mumbled as he opened the bottle of alcohol again and chugged away. "So much for your birthday gift."

He made his way over to the bar where his dad was still sitting with a bottle of tequila in his hand. "Pop," Opie started as he stopped beside the burly older man. "Have you seen Abby?"

"Not for a while," Piney began his voice sounding more gravelly than normal. "I sure wish she was still here. She was a lot more fun than these other broads here."

Opie sighed, lighting a cigarette. "Do you know where she went?"

Piney turned to face him, his eyes bloodshot from all the alcohol consumption. "Hey, don't bother that girl. She's having a bad night and doesn't need your ass nagging her about the shit going on."

"Whatever, Pop," Opie grumbled and put the half empty bottle of whiskey in front of him. "Here, enjoy." He stormed away from the bar and into the crowd.

Scanning the crowd, the scene hadn't changed much. Tig was getting more lap dances and massages from another round of girls. Juice and Jessie were still all over each other. He had hoped to see Jax breaking up the two of them, but as his eyes made their way across the floor, he saw Wendy had cornered Jax and was draping herself across him as he tried to steady her.

"Fucking great," Opie growled. He didn't know why he had recruited Jax to help sort this mess out. He should have known better since Wendy was here. Clearly pregnancy wasn't changing who she was.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chibs and the very person he was looking for. Chibs had a hold of Abby's elbow as she was bent over struggling to get out of her black, studded high heels. "Shit," Opie muttered as he pushed through the group of guys standing in front of him.

As he approached the duo, Chibs locked eyes with him with the same concerned look for the drunk girl who was hobbling to slip out of her second shoe.

"Abby, what are you doing?"

She whipped around, Chibs grabbing her side as she pushed away from his grip. She slipped her black leather jacket off revealing a dark green shirt that was almost completely backless. She let the coat fall out of her hand as Chibs intercepted it.  
"So, what, you're dressing like a two-bit hooker now?" Opie snapped, grabbing her other elbow as she toppled to the side.

Abby shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, why not? Maybe I'll get some attention this way."

She took Chibs's cigarettes from his hand and fumbled to pull one out. Chibs looked back at Opie and shrugged as he lit it for her. "It's the only thing keeping her calm," he answered before Opie could say anything.

Opie yanked her to the side, startling her out of her blank stare. "You're sure as hell going to get attention, but it's not going to be the kind you want. I'm not going to watch you make a complete ass out of yourself."

She ripped her arm out of his grip, puffing away on the cigarette. "I don't need you to babysit me. I'm fine."

"You're fine?" He pointed to where Juice and Jessie were practically feeling each other up in the corner. "Is that fine Abby, tell me is that fucking fine with you?"

Abby shrugged her shoulders and took a step back, bumping into Chibs. "Whatever, if he wants an easy lay, he has the right girl." She wrapped her arm around Chibs's neck. "Maybe I picked the wrong Son."

"I'm flattered lass, but I'm pretty sure you won't mean that in the morning," Chibs countered, putting his arm around her waist to keep from having her knock the both of them to the floor.

Opie let his head fall forward, letting out a long sigh. He looked up at Chibs who was talking quietly with Abby. Chibs managed to get her to a chair a few feet behind them. He helped her to sit, handed her his cigarettes, lighter and a half empty bottle of beer. He kissed her lightly on the top of the head and turned in Opie's direction.

"This is turning into a shit show," Chibs commented, lighting the lone cigarette he had wrangled out of his pack that was now residing with Abby.

"That's an understatement," Opie muttered. He looked back over his shoulder to see that Wendy had Jax in a bear hug and was grinding up against him. He pointed over his shoulder at their vice president. "That jackass was to be getting Juice away from Jessie, but as you can see that didn't happen."

Chibs rolled his eyes and looked back over his shoulder at Abby. She had her head resting against the wall behind her as she puffed away on a cigarette. "What should we do about her?"

Opie pushed his hat back and scratched his head. "She needs to sober up a little. That's probably going to be a fucking task, but that needs to happen. Can you walk her around outside? She seems to be alright with you."

"No problem," Chibs replied. "What are you going to do?"

Opie looked around the room. "I'm not sure yet, but I'll figure it out." He nodded as Chibs clapped his back and headed back to where Abby was. Opie watched as she clumsily got up from her seat and draped herself against Chibs, giggling and flirting with the Scot as they disappeared into the crowd. Now, he needed to come up with a plan to keep this evening from getting worse than it already was.

Abby was sitting on the picnic bench with her jacket draped over her shoulders, drinking a bottle of water, when Opie made his way outside. Chibs was lighting a cigarette for her as he puffed away on one himself.

"So, you're a drunk and a smoker now, huh?" Opie said gruffly as he sidled up beside her.

"And apparently a two-bit hooker," she mumbled, staring into the darkness of the parking lot.

Chibs pulled Opie aside and asked, "What the hell is going on in there?"

Opie lit a cigarette, taking in the calming effect of the nicotine. "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but Jax and I think that Bobby and Clay orchestrated this debacle tonight."

"What the hell for?"

"So, Abby will go off to Chicago as planned."

"Shit," Chibs scoffed, looking back at Abby still staring straight ahead. "Do ya want me to talk to Juicy?"

"I doubt he'll cop to anything. I went over to where Bobby and Clay were hanging out and mentioned the state that Abby was in. Bobby acted like he was completely oblivious to what was going on."

"I know Bobby wants what's best for Abby, but breaking her fucking heart isn't the way to go about it."

"No shit," Opie mumbled. He stared at his friend whose lost look on her face made him sick at his stomach. They had been through a ton of shit together, but this by far was the worst thing yet. He hated seeing her destroyed like this. He snapped his attention back to Chibs. "Go and enjoy the party. I can handle it from here."

Chibs nodded, patting him on the back. "If you need me, you know where to find me." Opie threw his cigarette into the darkness, stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked over to where she was sitting.

Sliding onto the picnic bench beside her, he felt her stiffen up. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She threw her cigarette onto the porch and stared at the ashes as they burnt out. "What about? About the fact that my boyfriend is practically having sex with that whore Jessie Phillips?" She turned her eyes toward Opie a mix of tears and rage burning through them.

"You need to talk to him."

"About what Ope? What the fuck do I need to talk to him about?" she yelled.

Opie looked around at the few stragglers outside that were staring over at the two of them. As they caught his eye, they quickly went back to what they were doing. Turning back to her, he lowered his voice. "Look, I know you love him, and he loves you. I also know that things have been a bit tough lately for the two of you."

"Yeah, my uncle being a total ass and a kidnapping certainly kills the mood," she sarcastically shot back.

"Hey," he raised his voice. "I know you're hurting, but don't get that fucking attitude with me. I'm trying to help you out."

Abby lowered her head and touched his knee. "I know you are. Thanks," she whispered.

Opie stood up and turned to face her, stretching his hand out to meet hers. "Why don't we go back inside, and you can decide how to handle this?"

She took his hand and smiled meekly. "Can I get a beer?"

He groaned, rolling his eyes. She had managed to sober up some so he wasn't wild about the idea, but he didn't want to fight with her either. "One beer, but no more liquor; that's what turns you into a fucking nightmare."

Holding the door open for her, he watched as she chuckled softly at his last comment. Even though it appeared he had convinced her to focus on taking care of things with Juice, Opie couldn't shake the knot in the pit of his stomach.

Abby sat on a bar stool across from Piney, laughing at some story he was telling about one of his adventures in the war. In true Piney fashion, he was making it rather lively which was probably due to the tequila. Chibs had found his way back to Opie and Abby. He was now standing next to her, keeping a watchful eye on how much she was drinking and laughing along with everyone.

Opie saw Jax pushing through the crowd to make his way to the bar. Opie grabbed his elbow tightly and pulled him away. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Ah, man, Wendy was completely fucked up. I was trying to get her to go back to one of the dorm rooms to lie down, but she wasn't having it. I finally have her tucked away in a corner."

"So, you didn't talk to Juice?"

Jax shook his head "no," ignoring Opie groaning at his response. "I can tell you that Jessie left."

"How do you know this?"

"One of the girls told Wendy that she had cut out for the evening. I don't know if it even registered with Wendy, but I definitely heard her say that." Jax stopped and motioned in Abby's direction. "She should go find Juice to figure out what the hell happened tonight."

"I was trying to push her in that direction, but she's being stubborn," Opie answered, turning, and heading Abby's way.

He stopped beside her and looked at Piney. "Hey Pop, I need to steal Abby for a second." Ignoring his dad expressing his dislike of that statement. He pulled her over to where Jax was.

"Have you come to a decision about talking to Juice?" Opie questioned.

Abby shrugged her shoulders, taking the last swig of her beer. "Last I checked he was busy with a half-naked skank."

Jax chimed in. "She left. I heard one of the crow eaters mention it to Wendy that she bailed for the night."

"You need to find Juice and talk to him," Opie continued, not letting her get a word in. He knew she would just argue or make excuses. "Come on Abby, find out what's going on so you can get some peace and go about your fucking life wherever that may be."

Shoving the empty beer bottle in his direction, she straightened her jacket. "Fine, where the hell is he?"

Opie breathed a sigh of relief. He motioned to Jax to follow along with them. They ran into one of the prospects stumbling across the room with a chick attached to his side. "Where's Juice?" Opie heard Jax bark the question at the young guy. The three turned as he motioned in the direction of the dorm rooms and mumbled something about Juice going to lay down.

After he stumbled by, Jax and Opie turned to Abby. Without a word, she turned and headed toward the hallway leading to the dorm rooms. The guys leaned against each side of the doorway, simultaneously lighting cigarettes. Opie rested his head on the hard wood behind him and shut his eyes. He hoped they could reach some sort of agreement so Abby could get out of the hell that was consuming her head and he could go the hell home.

As he felt himself drift off slightly, he heard Gemma's voice sounding urgent as she called for Jax. Probably some Wendy drama, he thought as he went back to thinking about how to smooth things over with Donna.

"Opie, dude, we gotta go back there," Jax yelled, rushing past him.

"What?" he snapped, looking at Gemma who had him by the arm and was trying to pull him toward the rooms.

He could hear screaming and banging coming from the other side of the half open door at the end of the hallway. When he entered the room, he felt like everything went into slow motion as he saw Juice standing over two bodies rolling around on the floor. Juice had a shell-shocked look on his face as he stood there in his boxer briefs not moving.

Jax had pushed past Juice and yelled "Opie." Opie rushed over to Juice's side and for an instant froze as the scene in front of him registered in his head. Abby was on top of Jessie, slapping the shit out of her. Jessie was trying to shield her face, but it wasn't doing any good as each slap hit her cheek and the bare skin on her upper body. Opie heard Chibs enter the room, yelling, "what the fuck?" as Gemma yelled something to him.

Jax had managed to grab Abby and pulled her backwards only to get clocked across the cheek by her. He let go of Abby, shocked by her action, which allowed her to jump back on the long-legged Jessie who was trying to get onto her elbows.

Opie stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Abby's waist, lifting her up as her legs flailed in front of her like a two-year old throwing a tantrum. Jax pulled Jessie up and pushed her in the direction of the door.

"Get this skanky whore out of here," Gemma yelled at Chibs, as she threw Jessie's clothes at her. Chibs took Jessie by the elbow and led her out of the room.

"Did you know about this?" Opie yelled in Jax's direction.

"Hell no, man," he yelled back. "That red headed crow eater told Wendy that Jessie split for the night. I had nothing to do with any of this."

Opie nodded, keeping his grip on Abby who was screaming to be put down. He glanced over his shoulders as he heard more footsteps enter the room. He could feel his blood boil as Clay stood there puffing away on a cigar looking completely unfazed. Bobby looked slightly more concerned, but not as concerned as one would think he should be.

Opie leaned close to Abby's ear. "I'll put you down, but you have to get your shit together." He felt her go limp and her breathing start to come down to a normal pace. Swallowing hard, he brought her to the ground then slowly took his arms away from around her.

Juice had pulled his pants back on. He stared at Jax and Opie with a look of fear on his face. As Abby approached him, he turned his eyes toward her, the look going from fear to sadness. He reached out to her. "Abby," he whispered.

The room went dead silent as the sound of her palm meeting the side of his face filled the air. After what seemed like forever, Opie stepped forward, but Jax grabbed his forearm. Opie knew he had to let her take care of this, but the protective side of him wanted to handle it for her.

"Are you going to say anything?" she asked calmly, staring directly into his eyes.

Juice's eye were staring back at hers looking completely blank. He stood motionless not saying anything as the room looked on.

"Say something," she spoke again.

He kept his eyes on her as his body grew more and more rigid. The silence coming from him seemed deafening.

"Say something!" Abby yelled, balling up her fists.

Opie shifted in place wanting to step in and do something; anything. He watched as Abby swiftly stepped forward toward Juice. She hit his chest and screamed "Don't just stand there, say something!"

Quickly, Opie surveyed the room. Clay and Bobby were standing along the back of the room not doing a thing. Jax had taken a few steps back and had one eye on his feet, the other on the couple in front of them. As he made his eyes back around, he caught Gemma who motioned for him to intervene just as Abby hit Juice's chest again, continuing to scream the same thing over and over.

As her hand was about to connect with his chest once more, Opie stopped her. "Abby," he whispered as she ripped her hand back. She spun around on her heels and started for the door. Gemma was calling out to her, but she just kept going until she disappeared into the hallway.

Ripping his hat off, Opie threw it across the room. "Fuck," he yelled, spinning around to face Juice. He stopped himself as he felt his fist begin to move forward. The look in Juice's eyes was all too familiar. He recognized that same look every time he upset or let down Donna. He could only imagine the feelings coursing through Juice's body were ten times worse than the look on his face.

"Ope, are you going to go get her?" Gemma barked.

Without saying a word, Opie made his way to the door. He looked at Clay who almost seemed to have a twinkle in his eye. Directing his eyes to Bobby, he could almost see the guilt seeping from him. "Hope you're happy," Opie growled, storming out of the door and toward the main part of the clubhouse.

Abby was standing at the bar, throwing back a shot of vodka. Chibs had walked over to her and was saying something in her ear, but she didn't seem to be listening. He caught her eye and that's all it took for the water to begin glistening in them.

"Come on, let me get you out of here," Opie said, as he reached the bar.

She let her head fall, the curls covering her face as she meekly shook her head. He put his hand on her shoulder and led her out the door into the cool night air. Abby sunk to the ground, her body heaving from the sobs and tears coming from inside of her.

Slowly, he helped her to stand. Wrapping his arm around her, he helped her into her car then slid into the driver seat. Turning the keys to start the ignition, he glanced over at her curled up in a ball looking completely helpless.


	30. Chapter 30

The smell of coffee entered the bedroom as Abby rolled onto her side. She groaned, rubbing her eyes as she heard the squeak of her bedroom door being opened. She felt like death. Her head was pounding which was made worse with any movement. The taste of stale liquor and beer in her mouth made her stomach feel like it was on a roller coaster ride. On top of that, she felt numb, void of all emotion after the previous night's events.

She heard footsteps coming around the side of her bed; she forced one eye open. She saw a cup of coffee being held out for her. Slowly, moving her gaze up, she saw Chibs looking down at her.

"For you," he greeted, sliding onto the edge of the bed.

Groaning, she pushed herself back against her pillows and took the cup of coffee. Taking a tiny sip, she shut her eyes again. "Did you bring me home?"

"Nah, can't say that I did. That was Ope, but I came over to relieve him once you were settled. We wanted to make sure you didn't wake up and do something stupid."

"Ah man, what am I, Jax now?" she questioned as she opened her eyes to look at Chibs.

Chibs let out a low chuckle and settled his hand on her knee. "You're far more attractive than Jackie Boy."

She smiled then let out another groan. All this movement was making her head throb even more. She searched her memory for the events of the previous evening. There were parts that were hazy or completely gone from her memory then there were the parts that stood out like a sore thumb. Juice and Jessie all over each other on the dance floor then in the dorm room settled into brain. Then the image of Opie pulling her off Jessie replaced that revolting scene. "I guess I put on quite a display last night."

"That was pretty tame for a party at the clubhouse."

Abby ran a finger through her curls; they were a tangled mess. "You're just being nice."

"Oh no, Abby, I would tell you if I thought you were being a jackass." He shrugged his shoulders and offered a smile. "So, you got into a scuffle with that skank and laid into Juice. They both deserved it, nobody faults you for your reaction." He squeezed her knee. "Besides, you made me feel like a million bucks with all your flirting."

"Was I inappropriate?"

"It was completely harmless," he answered, leaning over to nudge her with his shoulder. "Best part of my night."

She placed her hand on his and held it for a few seconds before rolling onto her side and laying back down. She took some deep breaths, trying to calm her stomach. The last thing she wanted to do was end up with her head in the toilet. She was so tired, her body felt like it had run a marathon. All she wanted to do was sleep so she wouldn't have to deal with feeling like shit, both physically and emotionally. Pushing away the images that haunted her from Tig's birthday bash, she felt herself slowly drift off into dreamland.  
XX  
Juice took his seat around the reaper table and waited for the rest of his brothers. It had been a week since Tig's birthday party, a week since he broke Abby's heart, a week since he had seen her face or heard her voice. It felt like the longest week of his life. He shut his eyes as his mind drifted back to that awful night.

After Abby left the dorm room with Opie on her heels, the rest of the audience followed suit. The last thing he remembered before the door shut was locking eyes with Bobby and getting a nod from him. After that, he fell back on the bed, curled up in a ball and stared at the wall until he managed to fall asleep.

When he woke up the next day, he hoped that it had all been a bad nightmare. Unfortunately, when he emerged out of the dorm room, he bumped into a disheveled Tig who greeted him with, "Man, did you get caught cheating on Abby last night?" He remembered nodding his head, brushing past him, and walking in a daze to his bike. When he got home, he went right back to bed and tried to ignore the empty feeling in his apartment. He had to fight the urge to call Abby, but he promised Bobby that once everything went down, he would cease contact with her.

He slept for a few hours in his bed that afternoon, waking up with a racing heart and in a pool of sweat. The rest of the week consisted of very little sleep and lots of coffee. Every time he fell asleep, he would have a dream that replayed Tig's birthday party in some way. Because of that, he decided he was still young enough that sleep wasn't that important.

The aftermath of his betrayal had changed his relationship with some of his fellow Sons. The tension between him and Bobby had dissipated. Bobby wasn't going out of his way to be chummy with Juice because that would implicate his hand in what happened, but Bobby wasn't giving Juice death stares anymore which was an improvement. The first time that Juice saw Bobby after the party, Bobby approached him when the rest of the guys were elsewhere to tell him that he did the right thing even if it didn't feel like it. Juice couldn't remember if Bobby said anything more than that because he got caught up in his head replaying Abby's hurt face over and over again.

Jax didn't say much about what happened other than to tell Juice in passing to be careful around Opie. He wasn't surprised that Jax didn't say much else. Sure, Jax looked out for Abby and they were close, but they also butted heads a lot. Not to mention, Jax had a lot of personal drama going on in his own life which had him preoccupied. Juice and Abby's falling out wasn't going to outshine Wendy, her pregnancy, and Tara's upcoming arrival.

Chibs had given him the cold shoulder for a few days. Juice knew Chibs really liked Abby and he remembered seeing Chibs with Abby for most of the party that night. He wanted to tell Chibs what happened and why it happened, but he couldn't. He had promised Clay and Bobby that what they had planned would stay between them no matter what questions were sure to arise once the dust settled. Chibs was finally talking to him again, but it was more business-like than friend-like. Chibs was the Son that Juice was the closest to so the shift in their dynamic was hitting him the hardest.

Juice didn't see Opie the day after the party. In fact, he didn't see Opie for three days. Other than Jax's warning, he didn't hear Opie's name mentioned within the clubhouse. Juice couldn't help but wonder if Abby had already packed up and left with Opie's help.

Then, Opie showed up at the clubhouse looking more brooding than normal. He brushed past Juice, shoulder checking him as he made his way to where Jax was sitting with Bobby. Juice watched as Opie hovered over the two guys, locking eyes with Bobby. Juice couldn't hear what was being said, but it didn't look the least bit friendly. Opie's voice got a tad louder and Juice heard Jax say Opie's name firmly. Opie stepped back, kicked a chair, and stormed back out of the clubhouse. As the door slammed shut, Jax was on his feet trying to catch up with Opie before he left. Juice didn't see either of them for the rest of the day.

Juice twirled a pen around in circles, trying to keep his knee from bouncing underneath the table. He felt restless and jittery. Guess no sleep and too much coffee eventually catches up to a person no matter what the age.

The last two club members showed up, so Clay struck the gavel on the table to begin the meeting. Juice shifted in his seat feeling as if someone was watching him. He let his eyes roam around the table where they settled on Opie who was staring right at him. 

Quickly, he turned his gaze away and went back to twirling the pen in front of him.

As soon as the meeting was over, Juice jumped up and dashed out of the room. He made a beeline for the coffee to get a refill. He needed to get away from the eyes of Opie. Once he had his coffee back in his hand, he lit a cigarette and leaned against the bar.

He watched as the rest of the guys filtered out of church and started going their separate ways. As he shut his eyes, he heard Jax and Opie talking as they made their way to the bar.

"Are you heading over there now?"

"Yeah," Opie grumbled. "She wasn't supposed to leave for another week, but she called this morning to tell me she was headed to San Diego."

Juice felt his ear perk up. Opie had to be talking about Abby. There was no other female that he could possibly be talking about. Donna wouldn't be leaving to go anywhere so that only left the girl Juice was in love with.

"What's in San Diego?" Jax asked.

"Some friend from college. She's going to stay there until the bar exam."

Juice opened one eye and saw Opie do a shot of whiskey. "Something's up. I don't know what it is, but she's not telling me something." Lighting a cigarette, he looked at Jax. "You should come with me."

"I have to get Wendy and take her for a doctor's appointment. She's missed her last three so this is the only way I can get her to go." Jax threw a shot back. "Let me know how you make out."

Juice watched as Opie nodded, put his cigarette out, and left the club. Jax lit a cigarette and headed out the door too. Throwing back his last swig of coffee, Juice made his way over to his computer and slid onto his chair. Not knowing what was going on with Abby was killing him. He knew letting her go so she would leave Charming was the best thing to keep her safe, but it was the worst thing for him.  
XX  
Opie pushed the front door open and called for Abby. He could hear music coming from upstairs, so he knew she probably didn't hear him. He made his way up the stairs and called her name again.

"I'm in my room."

As he walked into her bedroom, he glanced into the bathroom. He stopped, shocked with what he saw on the bathroom sink. He couldn't tell if he was imagining things or not, so he went to make sure. Entering the bathroom, he came to an abrupt halt. "What the hell?" he mumbled, reaching his hand out to retrieve his finding.

"I think I'm going to need you to carry this suitcase to the car for me. I think I did a little too much shopping with Gemma," Abby called from the other room.

Opie turned back around and exited the bathroom. He entered her bedroom, not saying a word as she wrestled to get the suitcase latched. Things were starting to make a bit more sense to him. He knew when she called bright and early to say she was leaving that something didn't seem right. Glancing at the object in his hand, it was coming together.

"Abby," he called out. He watched as she continued to fight with the suitcase while mumbling to herself. "Abby!" he boomed. "What the hell is this?"

She froze in place and slowly brought her attention to his. The look on her face told him everything. "Is this why you're running to San Diego a week early?"

"What does it matter?" she responded, getting up to grab the backpack off her bed.

He watched as she walked over to her desk and started filling the backpack in her possession. He stormed over to her and slammed the slim, white piece of plastic in front of her. "You're pregnant?"

"It appears so," she answered, pushing it to the side to grab the contents of her desk.

Grabbing her hand, he turned her toward him. "So, were you just going to run out of here without saying anything about this?"

"Who am I going to tell? Gemma, Bobby, Jax…"

"Maybe the father," Opie interrupted.

Turning her eyes away from his, she mumbled, "I'm not telling him."

"Are you keeping it?" Opie questioned, trying to keep his cool.

Abby nodded. "Yes. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that."

"But not telling Juice?" Opie stopped. "That you can live with?"

"Why are you defending him?" Abby yelled.

"Why are you acting like a brat right now?" Opie yelled back. "Do you hear yourself? You wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you got rid of the baby but keeping it from the father is totally fine. Do you realize how fucked up that is?" He ripped his hat off his head and stuffed it into his back pocket.

"What does it matter," she continued, sitting down on the bed. "I'm not coming back to Charming so it's not like he will find out."

Opie started pacing around her bedroom, trying to keep from yelling more than he already was. He couldn't believe her right now. Abby could be dramatic from time to time, but she was taking this to a whole new level. "So, what, you're never coming back to Charming?" He watched as she shook her head no. "Seriously, seriously, you're never coming back to Charming?"

"Why would I?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because everyone that's important to you is in CHARMING!?" he boomed. He stopped pacing and took a couple deep breaths. This wasn't how he wanted his last interaction with Abby to go. Next to Jax, she was his best friend and sometimes he felt closer to her than Jax. He didn't want to put a wedge between them. He leaned against the window and shut his eyes. "You can sit there and say you're never coming back here because right now that's how you feel, but you have two god kids who will expect you to be here for important things in their lives. What happens when you show up with a kid in tow? Are you going to hide the kid away like Rapunzel to keep Juice from finding out?"

He watched Abby as she stared at the wall in front of her and then start laughing suddenly. "What the fuck are you laughing at?"

"Rapunzel? Where did that come from?" she asked, in between laughs.

Opie couldn't help but chuckle. "Ellie was watching it before bed last night. I guess it got stuck in my head." He walked over to the bed and plopped down beside her. He sat, staring out the window, searching his mind for the 'right' thing to say. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "Abby, you have to tell him."

Sighing, Abby leaned forward, resting her face in her hands. "I know I do, but I'm so angry at him. I told myself I would never get involved with a member of the club, let alone fall in love with one. I didn't want to subject myself to the worry, the secrets and getting my heart broken. Now look at me: I'm pregnant to a Son."

Opie thought about what she just said. He knew Donna worried about his safety every single day. She hated that they couldn't have normal conversations about his day because most of what went on wasn't something he could share with her. He was amazed Donna stuck with him, but she truly loved him. As he thought about their relationship and about what had happened to Abby, he wondered if he was breaking Donna's heart.

He got to his feet and turned to Abby. "Look, I'm not saying you have to stay. All I'm saying is that you should tell Juice your news before you go. I don't want this hanging over your head for the rest of your life. By not telling him, you're no better than any of us with our secrets."

She fell back on her bed, rubbing her temples. With a loud groan, she replied, "I hate when you're right." She pushed herself up to her elbows and looked at Opie. "How do we do this?"

"I'll take care of it," he answered, pulling his phone out of his pocket.  
XX  
Juice felt the air whipping around him as he sped down the road toward the temporary warehouse the Sons occupied. He was relieved when Jax called him and asked him to go out to check on the prospects that were unloading their latest gun shipment. After hearing Opie and Jax's brief conversation about Abby's abrupt decision to leave Charming today, he was feeling uneasy. Sure, he knew she was going to be leaving within a week or so, but that gave him time to deal with his inner turmoil. Now, those feelings seemed deafening. He was hoping the ride would clear his head. Abby was leaving and their future together was over. The sooner he could reconcile that, the sooner he could go back to the way things were before her.

As Juice slowed to a stop on the trail leading up to the warehouse, he felt his heart pick up pace as Opie stepped out of the barn. Jax never mentioned Opie was going to be there. Did Jax know he would be here? What happened when Opie went to see Abby? Was he finally going to let Juice know how he felt about how things went down at Tig's party? Juice couldn't calm all the questions in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he removed his helmet and slid off his bike. Stuffing his hands in his pocket, he made his way to where Opie was standing, glaring at Juice.

"Ope, what's up?" Juice asked, trying to sound as collected as possible. Juice watched as Opie, not changing his expression, stepped to the side, and glanced over his shoulder.

Juice froze in place as Abby walked around Opie and stopped. He swallowed hard. "Abby?" he choked. His heart felt like it was going to fly out of his chest. Opie said something to Abby, but Juice couldn't hear what he said. He watched as Abby nodded to him as he began to walk back toward the barn. As he shut the door, he gave Juice a stare that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

The pair stood staring at each other, neither saying a word. Juice wanted to begin apologizing to her for what happened, wanting desperately to tell her that what went down with Jessie was orchestrated by Clay and Bobby to get Abby to leave Charming, but he couldn't. There wasn't much he could say to her without jeopardizing her departure.

"What's up?" he asked, trying to sound calm, cool, and collected, but as he heard himself, he thought he sounded like a complete dimwit.

Abby rocked back on her heels, turning her eyes to the blue sky above. "I'm pregnant," she blurted out, keeping her focus above her.

Every part of him froze as the words crossed through his brain. When he saw her, he figured she was here to yell at him or to gain some sort of closure or a bit of both. Hearing the words 'I'm pregnant' was not at all what he expected. As the words sunk in deeper, he felt overwhelmed with feelings. He felt happy with the prospect of having a kid with Abby, but then he realized what he had agreed to and what he had done to her. All his happy feelings dissipated and turned to regret, sadness, and some anger. He couldn't believe he ever agreed to hurt her to get her to leave.

"Juice," she spoke softly.

"You're pregnant?" he remarked. He watched as she nodded. He didn't know what to say next. He wanted to tell her to stay. He wanted to say, "fuck it" and go against Bobby and Clay, but not only was keeping her safe his priority now she was pregnant with his kid. It wasn't just about keeping her safe.

"I wasn't going to tell you, but Opie convinced me to see you before I left. He called Jax to set this up because he wasn't sure you'd show if he was the one calling."

He straightened up. He was shocked to hear that Opie told her to tell him. He felt like he was walking on eggshells, waiting for the moment that Opie's fist met his face. Hearing her say that Opie convinced her made him think that maybe he could breathe a little easier around his fellow Son. He pushed that part of what she said out of his mind and let the part where she said she was leaving come over him.

"So, you're still leaving?"

"Yes," she whispered, looking down at her feet. "I'm going to San Diego for two weeks then to Chicago. Being pregnant doesn't change how I feel about leaving. I can't be here anymore. The events of the last two months reminded me why I never wanted to get involved with someone from the club. There's the worry of being in danger. It's bad enough worrying about my uncle, Opie and Jax, but I realized I would be worrying for my safety too. On top of it, there's the worry of the cheating. I didn't think that would be one that I would need to be concerned with, but you proved me wrong."

He felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. That person she saw at Tig's party, that wasn't him. He had never cheated on a girlfriend. Hell, he felt bad when he had one-night stands. He was so wasted the night of Tig's party because it was the only way he knew he could go through with what had been planned. There were a few times in the evening when he saw Chibs and Abby being extra chummy that he almost called the whole plan off.

Pushing all of that out of his mind, he sniffed back what felt like tears welling up. "So, I'm not going to be a part of my kids' life?"

She shoved her hands in her coat pockets. "I will keep you updated on how things are going, and I'll send you pictures. That's the best I can do for now. I need to disassociate myself from you and all of this so please don't contact me. I won't shut you out from knowing about your child, I promise you that, but I need to be the one to set the pace for that."

"Abby," he sniffed again as he began to reach for her hand. He watched as she stepped back. "I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could think to say.

"Goodbye, Juan Carlos," she answered, turning on her heel towards her car.

He stood motionless, watching every move she made. He watched as she disappeared into the front seat of her car and drove down the dirt path. There was nothing more he could say or do. He made his choice and she made hers. Abby Munson was the best thing that ever happened to him and he let her get away.


End file.
